Shadowed Flame
by Krystal Karpenter
Summary: After one Hero betrayed the rest out of fear, an imbalance in the elements leaves a world in more danger than ever before. As history begins to repeat, two hearts must fight against fate for a love that may ultimately be their demise.
1. Prologue

** A Digimon Fanfic  
By Krystal Karpenter**

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! I know some of you are still awaiting an update on some of my other stories, but I've lack some inspiration on many of them, including The Locket. For a while now I've been wishing to write another story with a fantasy based plot with adventure, magic, and of course romance. I turned out to be very proud of my story A Beautiful Sin and longed to write something like it once more. Though this plot is much different and it takes place in a much different setting, there is still that one element I really love: magic. Magic is such a versatile element in fiction. Honestly, it can be transformed in to whatever the author wishes it to be. That is probably why I love it so much! Alright, now on to this new story...

Again there will be some mystery, along with adventure! I really am happy with the world I've created for this new fic. I have about the first five chapters finished, but will not be releasing them until I have the first ten done, for I want to have some sort of foundation, so that I can update, while work at a non-rushed pace. I find I work better like that. Anyway, this Prologue is a you will not completely understand at first, but in time, you will. :) I shall update the first chapter in a few days as a **SNEAK PREVIEW **but after that the next update will not occur until next month. **  
**

Please read and review :) I take every suggestion and comment in to account and LOVE hearing feedback. And yes, this story is TAKUMI ^_^

* * *

_**Shadowed Flame:  
**__Prologue_

* * *

_It was not a Hero's duty to fear…_

_But I did._

_It was not a Hero's duty to lust…_

_But I did._

_It was not a Hero's duty to be weak…_

_But I was._

_It was a Hero's duty to protect. To govern. And to ensure that the balance of the elements stayed intact throughout eras of war and political unrest. _

_It was a Hero's duty to stay fair, and resist any temptation that was beautiful to all eyes, but not allowed for ones with our responsibilities._

_I failed all of these duties._

_It was not a Hero's duty to fall in love…_

_But I did._


	2. The New Heroes

**A FanFic by  
Krystal** **Karpenter  
**_  
A/N: Ok,__h__ere is the sneak preview :) I will continued updating within a month or so, but for now, let this first chapter marinate a bit. Please review and tell me what you think! Also, at the end of the chapters in the story, I will have some more author's notes, along with a little summary of what happened, for it might get perplexing later in the story. I am also going to throw out a few questions to think about after you read, but those probably will not come until about the 2nd or 3rd chap, when things begin to pick up. Anyway, do enjoy! R&R :D_

_P.S. Special thanks to those of you who already reviewed, and added this story on your favorites and alerts. I love the support and it is such encouragement! SO thank you, and I love you 3 :)_

* * *

_**Chapter 1:  
**__The New Heroes_

* * *

_His eyes were warm. Warmer than anyone else's she knew. They were a rich brown color, which reminded her of chocolate, and when he smiled, those lovely eyes would brighten, melting her heart. He smiled often at her, she noted, as they sat together underneath a larger oak tree, which stood by itself in the middle of a vast meadow, carpeted with tall, green grass with sprinkles of flowers here and there. The sky was clear and blue, with no cloud in sight, but only the sun shining down, casting a large shadow where they rested. For a moment she wondered where they were, and what they were doing here. She felt as if there were something more important pressing the moment, as if there was urgency lurking within the oasis. But when she glanced back at the young man she sat with, her mind grew at ease. She tried to examine his face some more, but for some reason couldn't. All she could see where the boyish features in his grin and eyes._

"_You should really rest," he said, in a deep, calming voice, which seemed to be all around her at once. _

"_I know," she found herself saying, "but…"_

"_But what?"_

"_But I am still afraid," she admitted. She had no idea of what she was afraid of or why she felt fear in this beautiful place. _

"_It's okay, Izumi, trust me," the young man replied, as his concerned eyes studied her intently while he wrapped his strong arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She could feel her face grow warm as her body relaxed in to his touch, but her fears soon began to fly away like uncaged birds. She began to wonder how this young man could make her feel this way, or how he knew her name when she certainly did not know his. Looking up at him, her hand instinctively made its way to his face, which she realized was growing closer to her own. Their lips were centimeters away from another. She closed her eyes…._

Izumi woke up. Waking up from that dream was always an abrupt start to her morning. The young woman could not help but let out an irritated groan as the sunlight pierced her startling green eyes, which many in the kingdom say resembled emeralds. She stayed in her bed for a moment; resting her hands on top of the white blankets she had buried herself in to keep warm. Izumi glanced up at the ceiling, while her thoughts traversed back to her dream, which she had been having for a few months now, on and off. As hard as she tried, she could never remember exactly what that young man looked like, and it frustrated her. _Who was he?_ she asked herself, _And why do I keep dreaming about a man I do not even know? Unbelievable. Perhaps the less wine I have from now on, the better._

The 18-year-old girl continued to muse to herself until a knock came from her bed room door. "My countess, your father requests an audience with you at your earliest convenience," came the meek voice of one of the castle maids from the other side of the door, "but he says do not hurry, for it is nothing of urgency."

"Right, thank you," Izumi replied, blushing slightly. It was certainly not proper of her to have slept so long…

The young countess got up from her bed and walked to the bathroom to wash. In a matter of ten minutes, she stepped out in nothing but a towel around her small frame, and traveled over to her large closet. She decided upon wearing a green, silk gown, embroided with gold lining and jewels, for today, for it was more casual and comfortable…perfect for her seemingly listless afternoon. The sleeves were mid length, which Izumi also enjoyed, for she detested long ones. Another few minutes later, she soon found herself at her balcony; her very favorite spot. From there, before her eyes, was a majestic view of the small town of Mayfield, which sat right in the middle of the countryside. Izumi let the wind blow her blonde locks, which when dry, gleamed with a golden shine in the sunlight. The warm rays touched her fair skin ever so gently, highlighting to her angelic features. Oh, how she loved looking beyond her father's estate. Though many in the village below would refer to her home as a castle, it was but a mansion compared to other structures towering over the land of Kamora. The land had divided itself into four major kingdoms, each on different sides of the compass. Izumi's father, Akeno Orimoto, was gifted this mansion when he was promoted to Leading General and Count of the army for the Kingdom of Renai, the kingdom in the south, which was currently being ruled by King Yoshiro.

Looking out in to the horizon, Izumi knew there was so much more to this land that she had yet and wished to see. She knew she was more fortunate than many in her position, but the young countess could not help but feel a bit suffocated behind the walls of the hilltop mansion. Sighing, Izumi retreated back into her room. After readying herself a bit more, she traversed out the door, through a long hallway, and down a flight of spiral stairs before emerging into an enormous common area, with high ceilings and many doors leading to different rooms. She traveled to her father's study, where he sat glancing at a map of the region attentively.

Upon her entrance, Akeno Orimoto looked up, giving his daughter a soft smile. "I take it you slept well?" he asks, before standing up from his chair to walk over to the window. Akeno was a tall man, with the same bright green eyes as his daughter, but now less startling and lively from the years he's faced. His brown hair now held streaks of silver in it, along with his short beard. Though Akeno's face was now wrinkled with time and certain features have become weaker, he was still a good-looking man, with the presence of a true leader.

"Yes, father," she nods, politely, "is there a particular reason you wanted to see me in? Is mother back?"

"No," he responds, "I simply wished to tell you that we will be traveling to Ester tomorrow for a number of political conventions the kings of Kamora are holding. Now, I know how you hate these things, but-,"

"Father, please, I don't think I could stand going to another party within the same month! It is as if these kings have reasons to throw parties every single day!" Izumi exclaimed, shaking her head with utter exasperation. She has been on trips to Ester all her life. It was the center, and largest city of Kamora, which sat on neutral grounds, meaning it did not belong to any kingdom. If anything, Ester was an even larger political trap, which hardly left her any air to breathe. To get away from the aristocrats and noblemen for even a day or two was all Izumi desperately wanted. "Surely you do not need me to come," she moans.

"Izumi," Akeno sighs, but gives her an amused look. She was stubborn like her mother. "We will be meeting your mother there and after our business in Ester is done, I was thinking we could take some sort of excursion across the western kingdom, Awai, perhaps visit the Minamoto's. You know them well, right?"

At this, Izumi perked up with interest. She has never been to the Minamoto estate. Kane Minamoto was a general as well, but for the western kingdom armies. Indeed she knew that family well and longed for a different environment. "I suppose I can oblige to this," she smiles lovingly at her father, "alright, but promise me that our business in Ester will not take long?"

"Promise," he nods with a chuckle.

* * *

"Aha!" exclaimed a young man, around 19 with bright blue eyes, as he lifted his blade with one hand, extending an attack on his opponent. Their swords clashed and the sound of colliding steel rang through the large courtyard, which was decorated with various flowerbeds and Renaissance sculptures carved from white marble. They were partly fenced in by grey stone railings, which outlined most of the enormous formal French garden sprawled out across the estate. The blue-eyed man continued to take the upper hand with a confident smirk against his brown haired opponent, who was clearly struggling to keep up.

"What the hell Kouichi! Are you trying to actually kill me?" growled the opponent, his dark eyes widened with slight fear as he nearly blocked Kouichi's frontal assault. Though he looked slightly older, the shorthaired man was not as agile as Kouichi, but his stances were more powerful for he was bigger in size.

Kouichi's blue eyes continued to gleam with amusement as he took a second to brush away a strand of his raven colored hair away from his eyes. "Not at all, Junpei, I'm merely trying to best you," he responds coolly, contemplating for a moment whether he should stop now or not. Deciding to keep their spar going a bit longer, Kouichi swings his sword from the right. Before Junpei countered, Kouichi was able to steal a glance at the tall figure sitting on a nearby stone bench. "Kouji, have you seen how quick I've become?" he asks over his shoulder while blocking one of his opponents attacks.

The man identified as Kouji appeared to be a mere mirror of Kouichi, except for a few small differences. Kouji's dark hair was much longer and pulled into a ponytail, and he also seemed to be taller than Kouichi by a slight inch. On the bench, Kouji was resting casually, reading the morning's paper with a dull look in his eyes. He did not even glance up at the scene in front of him as he responded with a monotone, "Yes, I'm sure." He then proceeded to straighten out one of the many badges that clung to his navy blue uniform shirt, which was accented by gold strings sowed across the fabric for an official appearance, while his beige pants were tucked into his brown leather boots. He was a commander, and his attire was typical for one of his position. Normally in battle, he would wear the custom plating used to deflect the array of arrows and swords, but as an everyday wear, this is what was expected.

Kouichi and Junpei on the other hand were dressed much more casually in blue vests over a white, loose undershirt, and their dark pants were tucked into black boots. The blue-eyed young man ignores the commander's more sarcastic remark, but releases a frustrated blow toward Junpei, who falls to the ground. Kouichi then lifts his blade to his opponent's neck with a sigh.

"Okay, I'm exhausted," Junpei groans, letting his head rest on the grass while he catches his breath, "get that thing away from me, Kouichi, we're done."

Kouichi smirks, sheathing his blade then turning to Kouji to say, "My swordsmanship has improved greatly while you were gone, brother. I highly doubt you could even best me now,"

At this, Kouji looks up, but does not move, saying, "You're arrogance has certainly grown as well."

"Why don't you spar with me? You'll see I have something to be arrogant about," Kouichi continues to banter while walking over to his brother, sword still unsheathed.

Junpei rolls his eyes, "Really? Can't this wait, it's almost time for lunch."

Kouichi ignores his friend, sticking his sword through his brother's paper, tearing it away from his hands. At this, Kouji begins to grow irritated. "You certainly are stubborn," he growls, standing up.

"Admit it, I'm exceeding your own sword handling abilities," Kouichi smiles, amused at his brother's annoyance.

Kouji then abruptly draws his sword with such speed, Kouichi was barely able to block his brother's initial swing. Their swords stayed collided for a second or two, and the longhaired brother smirked, "What? No counter?"

Still stunned, Kouichi could not move, so Kouji moved on to his next attack. His blows were slowly moving Kouichi backwards. "Your surroundings, brother, be conscious of your surroundings," the commander noted just before Kouichi stumbled over one of the stone railings he had failed to notice.

He scrambles back on to his feet just in time to block a downward attack. Kouji had jumped onto the railing, "I have the higher ground, now, what are you to do?" Kouichi attempted to swing at his brother's legs, but Kouji jumped, avoiding the blow, and kicked his brother backwards. "The higher ground always has the advantage, never try and fight anyone there again," the commander barked.

Kouichi regained his balance by steadying himself on one of the Greek sculptures. "That a boy, you managed to grasp her breast!" Junpei laughed as he watched the two spar with great amusement.

Kouichi quickly retracted his hand away from the naked woman's chest with a grimace, but then ducked behind her as Kouji lunged at him, his sword clashing into the stone. Kouichi then made his own attack from the other side of the statue, which barely missed Kouji, who smiled smally at the excitement. Soon, they found themselves exchanging blows in an open area once again, but Kouichi was beginning to tire quickly. Kouji was as, if not more, agile than his brother was, and it was difficult for Kouichi to keep up the pace. Sweat poured down their faces, while Junpei simply sat and continued to observe them in the shade.

Spinning, Kouji delivered a powerful kick to his brother's chest, causing him to drop his sword and fall to the floor with a thud. Holding his sword to Kouichi's neck, Kouji smirked, "It appears I will still be admitting nothing to you, younger brother." He then sheathed his sword and extended a hand to help his brother up.

Kouichi groaned as Junpei began to clap. "Younger by only two minutes," he mused bitterly, but accepted the hand.

"Now," Junpei announced, "let's get some lunch."

The three turned to travel up a stone staircase that led out of the gardens and into a very large chateau with three stories and walls made of solid brick. They found themselves at the dining hall with food the servants had served them, and Junpei was quick to begin gorging himself. Kouji was not particularly hungry, instead, announced:

"It appears we will be going to Ester tomorrow, for the annual kingly gatherings. Should be an eventful week,"

"Am I to go as well?" Junpei asked with a mouth full of bread.

"Yes, knights are to go as well, so you and Kouichi are expected to be there," Kouji nods, sipping his goblet full of wine.

"Do you know who shall attend?" Kouichi inquired tiredly.

"Everyone…" Kouji grumbled. He was not particularly the sociable type. His brother took more interest in speaking to all the aristocrats, meeting everyone, and getting involved in political conversation. "Even King Jiro of the north,"

"Really?" Kouichi exclaims with surprise, "I've never met him…I did not think he came to these events,"

"He usually doesn't," Junpei adds just before letting out a solid burp.

Kouji cringes in disgust, but continues, "Yes, well that's why it should be interesting, shouldn't it? Honestly, I'm a little anxious to meet the king of Kalin as well…I've heard things."

Many people had heard things about King Jiro. The Kingdom of Kalin was the richest and largest kingdom in Kamora, yet the poverty levels were the highest. People in the large cities are left with barely anything, which is odd considering how much money the kingdom should have. Many could not help but suspect foul play somewhere within the government.

"Well," Kouichi grinned, "exciting it shall be indeed."

* * *

The city streets of Ester were bustling with its usual activity. Vendors selling their goods on the streets, horse drawn carriages traveling to and fro, and people scrambling about, always seemingly in a hurry. Many were dressed in sophisticated suits; these were the politicians, but then there were also many of the poorer class wondering the roads usually heading to work. The city was diverse. Large, four story buildings, usually acting as stores, studios, or apartments, towered along each sides of the streets, most wall to wall with occasional small alleys separating the structures. The buildings were more ornate, with iron railings along the windows and flowerpots hanging along the walls and doorways while sculptures were carved out of the stone and plaster. The streets were made of bricks while the sidewalks were etched out of cement. In the town square sat the gothic cathedral, which was hardly used anymore except to ring the bell, which would chime at sunrise, noon, and sunset. Also in the center of town was an outdoor market, with connecting stalls containing various items being sold. On the outskirts of the city, where the northern kingdom began, were the factories surrounded by less colorful buildings and structures. However, bordering Ester, a few miles away from the town square, were the northern kingdom slums. Here, children went without parents and the homeless without food. But even within a place so dark can something light emerge.

A young man jogged down the streets outside of Ester, dodging various, listless bodies sleeping along the sidewalks, and piles of trash accumulated in the roads. His clothes were tattered, his boots stained, and an old hooded cape kept his body warm. He was heading towards Ester's town square. "Damn, where could he have gone," the young man cursed under his breath, arriving at the busy intersection and took a minute to run a frustrated hand through his sandy blonde hair, which fell straight ending at the back of his neck. His narrow, grey eyes bounced around the environment with irritation. He was pale from lack of breath. Before continuing, he moved his cape in front of his dagger, which clung to his belt, in order to avoid suspicion with a pair of town guards nearby. Ester was not known for its people being armed.

"Roran," whispered someone in the crowd, causing the grey eyed man to turn around. "Have you found him?" asked the same voice; emerging from a group of people was another young man around the same age as his friend, Roran. His hair was short and spiked, his skin tanned, and his eyes a dark blue. He wore similar clothes to that of his ally, but held a more energetic, cheerful look to his features.

"Not yet, Davis," Roran groaned, "I hope he sticks to the plan, because I'm tired of always having to watch his back for him."

Davis chuckled, "Oh you know he never sticks to the plan. I think we'll just have to wait for him to make his move and then improvise."

Watching the two from above was another taller figure. His pink lips were curled in to an amused smirk as he observed his confused friends from a rooftop nearby on one of the surrounding buildings. At one glance it was evident that this young man differed from many in a normal crowd and those around his age. He was very tall, over six feet, with broad shoulders, strong arms, and a prominent jaw line, which gave him an angular, striking face. However, he was younger than Roran and Davis by at least two years, and the only ways one could tell were through his deep set, dark brown eyes, which still held a childish glint to them, and his boyish smirk. Silently, the young man began to move along the roof, examining the area below him.

The wind blew his already tousled chestnut colored hair in to his eyes, causing him to have to push it back out of his way. He continued glancing about the vendors and stalls until he found his target. Stealthily he crept to the edge of the roof until he could see four of the town square guards directly underneath him. Roran spotted him on the edge and nudged Davis to look as well. The two were about to make their way over there until the tall figure, after covering his face with his hood, leaped right on top of two guards, crushing them to the floor.

"What the hell?" the soldiers exclaimed drawing their swords and hollering as tall figure began to run towards one of the food stalls, grabbing a sack of potatoes, then dashing off into an alley. "Halt! In the names of the kings!" the soldiers continued to shout as more of them appeared and began joining the chase.

"What the hell is he going to do with just _one_ sack of potatoes?" Davis muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"It's a distraction," Roran realized, then noticed how most of the guards, besides the two injured on the floor, had gone on the chase. Pulling his hood over his eyes, Roran snuck over to the food stalls groping for anything he could; Davis mimicked. Even the owner seemed to still be miffed by the first thief, for he did not notice the other two until they had their hands full of his produce and were already in to a different ally.

"Dammit!" the man cursed after them, unable to do anything else.

In a different street, the chase after the taller figure, who was making his way through crowds with ease and excitement, continued, . However, he found himself boxed in after taking a wrong turn. The guards drew closer with swords in hand. The thief found himself drawing his smaller blade, but had no real intention of using it at the moment. Instead, spotting a wooden sign jutting out from the side of a building, he leaped up to cling to it, utilizing the post to help him swing over and on the other side of the guards. It was a close call, though, for he landed inches away from one of the soldiers, who managed to come off with an attack, which the thief blocked. He took off running again with an amused smile, but when he looked back to see the guards, he collided with an old woman, causing the two to fall to the brick street. The thief groaned, noticing how the soldiers were catching up once again. He swiftly helped the old woman, even while she began muttering angrily and hitting him on the head with a baguette she had been carrying.

"My apologies, honestly!" the young man exclaimed before resuming his escape, eyes still bright with laughter. Suddenly, he felt something narrowly miss his cheek, flying by rapidly. "Damn crossbows," he cursed, picking up his pace while trying to swerve and duck in order to avoid incoming arrows.

The guards had decided to split up, knowing that if they did not catch the thief soon, they would have to give up and return to their posts. The young man's energy began to drain, and his speed lessened. Making one last, powerful effort, the thief sprinted down an alley, around the corner, and stopped when he heard and saw no one following him. Sighing, he turned back around, only to find one of the larger guards right before his eyes. Before he could react, the soldier had lifted the thief by his collar, pinning him against the wall. The young man dropped his dagger and struggled to free himself from the guard's grip while he spat, "Thought you could get away this time, eh? We've seen your face around this town many times, Takuya Kanbara, along with some other of your rebellion scum."

Takuya only smirked, choking out his words with a grunt, "Yes, well…urgh…as much as I would love to go with you all today, I'm afraid I have other plans."

Suddenly, the larger soldier holding him up began to feel a burning sensation within his finger tips. His metal gauntlets had grown a dim red as they heated up, practically cooking his hands inside. Scowling, the guard panicked and threw his gauntlets aside, waving his hands around desperately to cool them down; dropping Takuya. "It's black magic!" one of the guards behind him cried fearfully as the group of four men stood there miffed.

"Get him you fools!" growled the lead guard in pain, clutching his swollen hands.

Takuya quickly lifted himself on to a balcony after jumping up and grabbing a metal railing. He made his way up to the roof. He looked down to see that the guards began shooting their crossbows again. The young man fell back trying to avoid them, but he soon scrambled back on to his feet and ran out of sight.

* * *

A/N: Alright, so we've met some characters, yay! But you'll see more of them quite soon. What is important that you do understand right now is the fact that this land, known as Kamora, is divided in to four main kingdoms, which you've learned. There are some other very small kingdoms within the land, but they are insignificant right now, though you shall learn about them later; I am simply telling you this to make sure you do not think there are _only_ four kingdoms, for there is more.

The four **major **kingdoms:

(We have only learned of three, but I will give you the fourth for future reference)

Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)

Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)

Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)

Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)

Major Cities:

(Only one you know of so far)

Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)

-This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

Okay, well there you have it :) In the next chapter I'll list the leaders of each kingdom and do so every chapter as reference so you do not get mixed up. You are going to meet A LOT of characters, and it's important to keep track of everyone. Well I hope you enjoyed! R&R :D let me know what you thought!


	3. Un Rêve

_**Shadowed Flame  
**_**A Digimon FanFic  
By Krystal Karpenter**

_Hey guys! Here we go :D GET EXCITED! I know you all are going to love this story. Thank you so much to all my reviewers! You guys rock \m/ But seriously...I wouldn't be encouraged without you all! And also thank you to those who already put this on their favorite stories list. Ok. If I lose you at all, or you get confused, simply scroll down to the bottom and at the end of the chapter, I'll have the chapter summaries and some references which might help you understand who the characters are or where this is all taking place, etc. YAY! Here we go! Remember to read and review! Love you readers! Mwah! _

* * *

_**Chapter 2:  
**__Un R__ê__ve_

* * *

Takuya now walked tiredly on the streets leading away from the heart of Ester. He soon found himself across the border to the northern slums. Not long after arriving there, he spotted Roran and Davis handing out the stolen foods to the starving people curled up along the roads. They looked up, and Davis gave him a wide grin, saying, "Where have you been? I expected you to outrun those guards hours ago,"

The tall brunette returned his friend's smile, responding, "That knight, Roy, was leading the group today. I barely managed to escape…He knows my name."

"What?" Roran questioned with surprise, "Dammit, you'll have to stay hidden for a while now. Does he know anyone else in our group?"

"He recognizes you two, but doesn't know your names as far as I know," Takuya shrugged, taking a seat on the side of the road, leaning against an old building to rest.

"Carmen is not going to like this," Roran muttered, handing out the last pieces of fruit and bread to a homeless woman with a small son. They were as gaunt and frail as skeletons, with droopy features and despondent eyes. But a glimmer of hope flashed through their gazes as the last morsels were placed in to their trembling hands.

Stealing and giving was the usual routine for the three young men, who worked for the rebellion group within the northern kingdom, known as The Liberation. They would often go in to the market square, or some other area in Ester, and take what they needed to feed the people here in the Kingdom of Kalin, who lived on the king's scraps. There were hardly luxuries at all, but it was an exciting life for Takuya. He felt as if he were actually making a small difference to some. However, he wished he had more, as most do, but instead of yearning for gold or money, Takuya craved influence, more of a say in certain things. The Liberation had dwindled in size from its earlier years, for many members have been killed or captured. It was a rebellion to fight against the king, and the news of the small civil war spread quickly within the land of Kamora.

"Roran," came a deep voice from behind the three young men. The man who spoke was in his mid-thirties it seemed, with a black, short beard and a scar along the side of his right eye. "Carmen needs to see you and Takuya," the man continues in a tired tone.

"What about me, Ken?" Davis pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"How the hell am I supposed to know what to do with you, moron? Go see Carmen too if you want, I certainly don't give a damn," Ken grumbled as he walked past them, heading towards a gated entrance within a back alley that led underground.

"Well he's in a terrible mood," Davis snorted, while the three followed Ken in to the cave, which was lit with a row of torches on each side of the walls.

A couple of rebellion guards, who had been sitting on crates playing with a deck of cards, came and locked the door behind them, greeting Roran, "Good evening, sir, that was the last of us out there for tonight, correct?"

"Indeed," Roran responded, giving them a nod to continue securing the metal gate, reinforcing it with a solid iron door.

The four traveled down the dank corridor, which stretched for about 700 feet, before taking a turn to the right, revealing an open area with cots, bunkers, and boxes filled with various supplies. The chamber seemed in a bit of disarray with different people wandering about, mingling with others while lighting cigars to go with their cards and ale. The men of The Liberation occupied these beds. The chamber for the girls was through a door to the left of the room, and down a hallway. It was a much smaller area, for there were significantly less women within the group as opposed to men. These rooms were not particularly luxurious in any way, but it surely held the upper hand against sleeping on the streets.

Ken became lost within the crowd of cots and men, while Davis, Roran, and Takuya continued through the area to another iron door directly on the other side. Another hallway led them further underground until the entered another open, smaller room, with map of every kingdom along the walls, and in the center was a table with a map of Kamora altogether. Oak bookshelves were also lying about, matching a large oak desk resting towards the back of the area. Standing above the map of Kamora was a young woman, perhaps a year older than Roran, with short brown hair, which was cut just at her shoulders. She had a very pretty face, with a darker complexion and angled features. She was thin, but muscular. Her dark, blue eyes looked up and relaxed a bit as the three came in. However, she arched an eyebrow at Davis, standing upright to ask, "Did I send for you?"

"Uh, no, but, come on Carmen, I felt left out," the brunette blushed slightly.

Carmen rolled her eyes at him, but dismissed the subject. "I guess you can listen, but this is a job I have for Roran and Takuya," she explains, moving to her desk.

Takuya had few superiors within the Liberation, for he had climbed his way up the ladder extremely quickly due to his odd agility and reflexes that made him an excellent thief and fighter. Roran and Davis were above him still, but the main leader was Carmen, who was in charge of the entire rebellion her father began when she was just a girl. Takuya admired her, and had also looked up to her father when he was still alive. It had been three years since he was killed, and the rebellion almost collapsed, but Carmen took hold of The Liberation as if it were _her_ last hope as well. She was strong, smart, and effective, so everyone respected her; even Takuya.

"Is this a mission?" Takuya asked eagerly.

"Yes, but I don't think it will be one you'll enjoy," she smirked, "tomorrow begins the 'political' conventions the kings hold in Ester, and I have word that King Jiro will actually be attending."

"You're kidding?" Roran scoffed, "That's surprising, since I figured the other rulers of Kamora probably hate him for what he's doing to this place. Plus, he's the only king ever to have withdrawn from trading agreements between different kingdoms. He's cutting us off as if he's got everything the north needs. There has to be some tension I would assume."

"Yes, well," Carmen clears her throat to continue, "using a connection I have with one of the palace knights, I'm sneaking you two in to the Council Meeting, which takes place in two days. We need to get a look at this man, because very few have actually even see him! I swear it is as if Jiro came out of nowhere and simply took over everything. No one clearly understands what the hell happened after that prince went missing."

"Jiro killed him, there's no question," Takuya stated bluntly with indifference, "that's how he came about the thrown. What _I_ don't understand is why _we_ have to attend some silly, aristocratic meeting. What are we to do there, sit and state our opinions? I'm sure what we have to say is very valuable. And on top of that, will they not see that we are not their kind? This whole plan seems a bit ridiculous. Are we to go in and kill Jiro, because then that would make it more interesting."

"Are you out of your damn mind, Kanbara," Carmen groaned irritably, "You think you can simply waltz in and kill a king? You'll be shot before you can lift your blade. We need to know his plans, what is going on with this kingdom. We need eyes and ears on the inside. However, I do need you to steal something. During the Council meeting, the kings all speak, exchanging documents concerning military conquests and updates. Jiro will be accompanied by, I assume, his general, who will have these documents. You must steal them and bring them here so we can read over everything. Something just doesn't seem right."

She was correct in pointing out the oddness of King Jiro's behavior and coming as king. It did not fit. He was first a knight and became the Northern General for some years; very close to the old king, who died of sickness. The prince, who was always a troubled boy, never taking any part in government whatsoever, disappeared. With no one else able to lead the vast armies of the north, Jiro was selected to rule. Soon, however, he began distancing himself from allies, blocking trading routes, and dismissing many aristocrats in his courts, replacing them with unusual characters.

Takuya had no real interest in politics for his voice was as weak, if not weaker, as the common person's. Only senators, knights, and kings could change the tide, but they were too busy dabbling in their social events. _It was all a facade_, he thought…but a façade he secretly wished to experience. "Sounds fine, I suppose," Takuya shrugged, playing with the corner of a map, "What are we to wear?"

"Formal noblemen suits, which I had stolen from the tailor. Nothing too fancy like the generals. They are not exactly official, but they are enough to blend in…try not to ruin them. I plan on selling them once you're done, and maybe we can buy some more supplies," Carmen sighed, growing tired of talking, "And Takuya, please don't do anything stupid. Stick to the plan."

The young man smirked, "I'm always going to do something stupid, but I get the job done."

"You're so arrogant," Roran mocked, but smiled smally at his younger partner in crime, "come on, let's get those suits."

* * *

In the heart of Ester, a few blocks near the town square, was the city's jewel. The Castle Brimnack, named after the king who established the neutral palace many years ago, sat gloriously within an acre of pure gardens, lavished with flowers, fountains, hedges, and pebble stone paths that lead carriages to the large, white-wash stone castle. The estate was surrounded by gold plated gates, which stretched all around to completely enclose the structure from the commoners. It was the second largest castle behind the Castle of Kalin, belonging to the northern kingdom. Palace knights belonging to various kingdoms in Kamora guarded Brimnack yearly, and many considered it an honor to be assigned there. Every year, these political conventions, where the kings would meet, were held within these walls. And here, the kings and their guests would stay to conduct their business. The four corners of the castle were marked by the famous four towers, each facing a direction on the compass, pointing to the four major kingdoms. Castle Brimnack was symbolic to the land, representing peace and alliances, and even the people respect its image.

Akeno Orimoto's carriage pulled up to the tall gates, and a knight immediately approached them. "Your badge, General," he directed respectfully.

Despite Izumi's countless visits to the castle, it never ceased to amaze her with its sheer size. Already in the driveway were a number of carriages coming to stops, delivering important people and their guests. _And so the political greetings and smiles begin_, she thought to herself icily. Izumi adjusted her large, feathered pink hat, which matched her pink and white gown with purple hemming and designs on the corset, to make sure it was in a slanted manner properly before stepping out in to the shark tank. Her hair was up in a bun, with only a few loose curls straying on the sides of her face. Many men could not help but take a second glance to admire her. She was helped out of the carriage by the driver, and her father escorted her up the marble stairs, leading to the enormous, mahogany double doors, which were decorated with carvings of motifs and themes of knights, angels, and other symbols of war. The countess appreciated the art greatly, noting that it must have taken years of labor to form the beautiful sculptures engraved within the stone and wood. Izumi also loved the castle's elaborate, stain glass windows.

Upon entering the lavish, high ceiling foyer that was met with a grand staircase, which they had to descend in order to traverse to the giant main hall, the crier announced their arrival, "General Akeno Orimoto and his daughter, Countess Izumi Orimoto."

"Ah, and they arrive at last," chuckled a middle-aged man, around Akeno's age, with jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes. Izumi immediately recognized him as Kane Minamoto. "I take it your journey was well? Where is Mrs. Orimoto?" Kane inquired, extending a hand, politely with a smile, happy to see his good friend.

Akeno shook it happily, nodding, "Yes, of course! My wife comes in tonight. So, how have your men been on the seas? I've been hearing stories of many pirates beginning to surface…"

As they began to speak of their armies, Izumi heard her name being called from behind. _Rescued_, she sighed to herself graciously. Kouichi and Junpei both came up to greet her with bows as she curtsied. The brunette was quick to kiss her hand, complimenting, "You look stunning, as always."

Kouichi merely rolled his eyes, while Izumi blushed slightly. It was no question that Junpei held special attention for the countess. "Izumi, we heard you are visiting our estate! We will have such fun in your company," Kouichi smiled brightly, "honestly things have been a bit dry with just Kouji around."

Izumi laughed, "I'm sure it is not as dry as my place. I have absolutely no one's company to enjoy, except my maids, but even they are afraid to do certain activities with me, such as archery."

"Well, Z, last I recall, you are terrible in archery," Junpei snorted.

"I've gotten better!" the countess objects defensively.

"We'll have to see about that," Kouichi smirked, "now may we escort you to your room? You must be tired after you long journey."

"Thank you, honestly I have no idea what I would do without you two," she sighed, taking Kouichi's arm, which caused an irritated look to cross Junpei's countenance. "I don't think I could stand these conventions by myself,"

And though, despite her friends, Izumi felt alone, caught in the middle of a world she still did not understand.

* * *

_Takuya walked the unnaturally dark streets of Ester in a blur, with dagger in hand. He did not know what he was doing, or why he was here with weapon out and ready. His eyes squinted in the darkness, trying to see through it. Without realizing, he muttered something, lighting a ball of fire within his palm in attempt to light the way. He walked on, the streets disappeared and he was now walking on nothing. _

"_Takuya…" whispered a voice within the darkness, "Takuya, beware…"_

"_Hello?" the young brunette called out uneasily, the hairs on the back of his spine rising up, "Who's there?"_

"_Young Hero, do not be afraid…" the voice continued. He identified it as a woman's voice, low but soothing in a haunting way, "I know the desires of your heart…beware."_

"_Who are you?" Takuya inquire again, growing irritable, "How do you know my name?"_

_Suddenly, a glowing figure appeared in the distance. He slowly, hesitantly walked closer to it. It was the figure of a woman, with long gold hair falling down her back in soft loosely curled locks. Takuya extended a hand to turn her around, but she vanished. "You must save her…" the voice continued, "but beware…"_

"_Save who?" Takuya growled, "Beware of what?"_

"_All will be answered soon, young Hero. I know your abilities, and you will learn to use them soon,"_

Takuya shot up from his sleep abruptly in a cold sweat. This dream was not new to him. It had been reoccurring for almost six months now, and every time he awoke from it in this state. Gasping, the rebel wiped his face with a hand in frustration. He still did not know what any of it meant, but he did not wish to speak of it to anyone. _Why should I worry the others with these silly dreams? _he thought with a sigh, sinking back into his bunk, which was between Davis and Roran, who were still sound asleep. Takuya could feel something coming, though, and he figured it might have something to do with this new mission. The Council meeting was tomorrow. He did his best to shake any worries out from his head. _I never worry about a mission, so why start now, _he assumed, and fell back asleep.

Later that afternoon, Roran and Takuya travelled back to the market square, but did their best to avoid any guards, even though Roy was not on duty today. They were planning to meet with Ken, who was supposed to give them their uniforms near the cathedral. The two rebels found their ally in a back street behind the church, carrying a package, which they assumed, contained their formal wear. Takuya actually found himself rather excited to change out of his ragged attire and begin pretending to be someone of actual importance. It was at least a change. When he was younger, he could not help but dream of being an army general, a commander, or even a knight. He quickly learned, however, that such positions were not in the cards fate had dealt him.

"Alright, boys. Here you go," Ken grumbled, stuffing the box into Takuya's arms, "I've got other shit to do, and all these streets are getting so damn crowded, because of that stupid welcoming ball tonight."

"A ball?" Takuya smirked, for it was perfectly expected for there to be more than a few parties these 'political' conventions…but suddenly the rebel grew intrigued, "And who will be there?"

"Everyone," Ken sniffed, "even Jiro is set to make an appearance, I hear. But I really must go. Good evening." And with that, he swiftly made his leave.

Now, for some odd reason, Takuya became determined to go to this party. He did not know why; perhaps to see Jiro and study him before his mission. But more of his reasoning to go really had to do with the excitement and fun of crashing a ball full of snobby aristocrats. The brunette suddenly found himself opening the package with as much eagerness as a boy on Christmas.

"What are you doing?" Roran hissed.

"Changing," he responds with a wide grin upon his cheeks.

"What?"

"I call the red doublet!"

"Takuya, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Roran demanded, trying to snatch the clothes away from Takuya, but he was too quick.

"I'm going to crash that ball," Takuya replied as he continued to rummage through the package, pulling out a very fine red doublet, or vest, ornamented with silver markings, which matched the pair of grey pants also found inside the box. A pair of black leather boots and a black belt had been packed in there as well to go along with the suit. "What? No cape?" he mused to himself, but then smiled, "Oh, wait, I found it!" Takuya finally pulled out a long silver cape that completed his outfit.

"You're mad. You cannot possibly be thinking of actually going to this thing!" Roran snarled, as Takuya shoved the package into his hands.

"What? Oh, Roran, don't be upset. See? The other color will suit you better. I think brown matches nicely with your hair," Takuya smirked, already beginning to strip down.

"This isn't funny," the grey-eyed rebel moaned, "…and I hate brown."

"Why don't you come with me? We'll have a nice time, drink some wine, eat some meat, and, hell, we could even steal a few of the ornaments from the palace," Takuya tried to persuade his friend, and he knew what came first to Roran was always his missions and the Liberation, so he continued, "also, Jiro will be there. We can study him closely before having to make any sort of advance. Are you not curious to see what this man looks like?"

At this, Roran looked up a bit. He took another look inside the box, but then shook his head vigorously. "What are we thinking? It's far too dangerous to go in to such a social event. Everyone will be asking us who we are."

Takuya merely shrugged. He had already tied up the new doublet over a satin camicia, or undershirt with loose clinging sleeves, which was tucked into his grey pants. He strapped the belt on over the doublet and then began tying the cape around his vests collar. Slipping on the last boot, he grunted, "Your decision, really."

"_Our_ decision," Roran pressed, giving his companion an icy glare, "now take all that stuff off."

Takuya shook his head with amused eyes. "I apologize, but I shall have to meet back up with you tonight. I have a party to go."

With that, the young rebel took off running. "You arrogant son of a bitch," Roran cursed, taking off after him, however struggling with the package still in his hands. He chased him down the street, across the small bridge, which went over the river cutting through town, and through the crowd gathered around Castle Brimnack's overwhelming gates. It was like a small parade as nobles rode through the entrance on their stunning horses or in their expensive carriages while many commoners cheered and clapped with the excitement of seeing royalty.

Takuya was now struggling within the mayhem, but he was suddenly struck with an idea as he witnessed the passing carriages and observed many guards distracted, trying to keep the crowd organized and off the road. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Roran was soon to overtake him if he did not act. So in a flash, Takuya took off his cape, stuffing it in his doublet, which left an unusual bulge in his chest, but he needed the thing to be out of the way. After that, he pushed his way up to the front and crouched. He began to doubt his primary idea seeing the crowd and how full of guards the perimeter was.

But suddenly, someone shouted, "Look, that is King Subaru's carriage!"

This provided the perfect distraction for Takuya to leap through the line of guards, and roll onto the road where one of other carriages immediately passed over him. As it drove on top of him, Takuya managed to attach himself to the bottom of the vehicle, giving him an easy ride through the castle gates.

Roran watched the scene enraged, stunned, and impressed all at the same time. "Unbelievable," he muttered, still watching the carriage which Takuya clung to, "Carmen is going to kill him…and me."

"Roran!" called a voice within the large crowd. The blonde rebel looked about until he spotted Davis coming towards him, gnawing on a turkey leg he had probably stolen. "Quite the parade, eh? All this hype is the perfect environment for a thief," he remarked smugly, waving his snack triumphantly in his friend's face.

Roran was clearly not in the mood. Grabbing Davis roughly by the arm, he dragged him away from the festivities. After they were far enough away, Roran snapped, "Takuya snuck inside the castle."

Davis responded with a confused, sideways glance. "Isn't that not supposed to happen until tomorrow?" he inquired after gulping down a piece of his turkey.

"Well, he decided to crash the ball tonight," Roran groaned, trying to calm down by pacing back and forth, "I need to get in there too, and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Why the hell are you telling me? I can't get you in there. You are going to need to ask Carmen," Davis remarked.

At this Roran laughed dryly. "That will never happen. If Carmen learns that Takuya went on ahead in to the castle, she'll have both our heads," he states, grabbing Davis by the arm again, "you're going to help me get in. It can't possibly be that difficult."

* * *

_A/N: Alright, next chapter shall be up next Saturday! So stay tuned, my lovely readers. :)_

_Chapter Summary:_

_Alright, well I am confident most of you understood what was occurring, but just in case...  
Takuya, Roran, and Davis all work for the Liberation, which is led by a girl named Carmen. The rebellion is against the northern king, or the Kingdom of Kalin (same thing), for most of the people within the kingdom are suffering from poverty due to the King's actions. Kalin used to be the wealthiest kingdom in all of Kamora, so no one knows what King Jiro did with all the money. Anyway, the rebels meet and discuss how Jiro's situation is most suspicious for he became king only after the old one died of 'sickness' and the prince 'vanished'. Carmen then gives Takuya and Roran a mission, which consists of them posing as nobles and sneaking in to the palace in order to attend the Council Meeting, which takes place in 2 days. Well, while Roran and Takuya are getting their clothes from their comrade Ken, they are informed about the welcoming ball taking place tonight. Takuya, interested to see Jiro, but more interested by the opportunity in pretending to be one from the upper-class, decides to attempt to crash the event. Roran is completely against it, but Takuya does not care for his mind is already set. He dashes off in to the crowd, and finds a way in to the palace. _

_Meanwhile, Izumi is so not looking forward to the 'political' conventions. She feels completely out of place, for she realizes how fake the entire scene is. Her friends, Kouichi and Junpei, however make things more tolerable. Castle Brimnack is symbolic for peace within Kamora. Once a year, it is accustomed for the kings to all gather there and talk about their accomplishments. _

_REMEMBER the strange lady who appears to Takuya in his dreams. "Un Reve" is French for a dream. You know who she is soon enough. Then dream will also be explained in time._

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (even though we haven't met all of them):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sile-oh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

Major Cities:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)

-This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

New Characters:

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation.


	4. Fleeting Facades

**_Shadowed Flame  
_****A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

Disclaimer: I do not own the series or the characters.

A/N: _Hello my readers :) I want to thank those of you who reviewed and favorited this story! Means a lot. Ok, now we are picking up the pace just a little, but still we are at the beginning stages of the story, so bear with me. Again, there is a reference and chapter summary at the end of the chapter if something confused you or you missed something while reading. Anyway, please read and review! The more reviews I get the happier I am, and a happy author is good new for you ;)_

* * *

_**Chapter 3:  
**__Fleeting Facades_

* * *

Izumi was never excited about attending balls. Once she turned six years old, the parties began to grow boring and ritual. In the chamber she shared with her parents, she sat in her room, brushing her hair, waiting for the maids to come and dress her. While the countess rested idly in her chair, she reflected on past balls she has attended. Most were the same, consisted of re-meeting people she hardly knew, small talk about meaningless things, or political conversations, and the dancing, which at the end of the night exhausted her. The parties held at this castle were slightly different, however. They were much more extravagant with ten times more people as opposed to locally held affairs. There were pros and cons to a ball of this size, Izumi had figured, for in a crowd so large, it was easy to get lost within it and escape, avoiding the pressures of being at the party the entire time. An important con, though, was the fact that one had many more people watching him or her, casting fake smiles and shallow compliments. Also, there was always a bit of rival tension between some of the kingdoms, and this year, Izumi would figure that there would be uncomfortable situations concerning the king for the northern kingdom. She did not know the whole story, but apparently King Jiro was supposedly an odd character, who rarely ever attended social banquets. Other than this fact, Izumi knew nothing else, nor did she desire to obtain any more knowledge on the matter.

"Izumi!" suddenly came a cheery voice from the doorway. There, stood a tall woman with long, straight blonde hair, which had darkened with age. Her brown eyes twinkled with happiness, while a small smile was spread across her pink lips. Though she was older, in her early forties, the woman held a timeless beauty, which many say she had passed on to her daughter.

"Mother!" Izumi responded with more fright than excitement. She had been completely caught off guard, but she quickly stands from her seat, "You're back!"

The air had turned slightly awkward as a strange silence settled over them for a moment. This often occurred when Saki Orimoto began scrutinizing her daughter's appearance, and it always vexed Izumi that her mother would constantly do so. "God, I have to get some maids in here to fix you up quickly. You cannot be seen like this," Saki began, sitting her daughter back down, "now wait right here."

"Nice to see you too…" Izumi sighed, now extremely irritable. Appearances. It was all that really mattered to her mother, and ever since Izumi was little she was constantly being scolded if she did not look right or meet expectation. This was one of the reasons Izumi was never really able to establish a relationship with her mother like the loving one she possessed with her father. She much preferred being with him than her. Whenever Saki was near, Izumi grew awfully uneasy and intimidated. _It couldn't be natural for one to be so estranged around their own mother_, she thought sadly.

"Here we are," Saki said, coming back into the room with a couple of maids, one holding a dress in their arms, "now get to work. And, Izumi, look at the new dress I bought for you in Droff. It's absolutely gorgeous. I knew it would be perfect for tonight."

"Thank you," Izumi smiles politely, facing the vanity mirror as one of the maids began working on her hair, while the other began untying a corset she was to put on.

Once more Saki went silent as she examined her daughter through the mirror. After a minute or two, she says to the maids, "Be sure not to put anything on her lips. They are as red as a rose naturally and do not need any further gloss."

It was not a direct compliment, but Izumi would take it. They were too rare to pass up.

* * *

The generals, Akeno and Kane walked casually down the hall with King Silos of Awai, the western kingdom. Silos was known through out Kamora for being prosperous, well-loved, but most of all wise. By the other kings and generals, he was titled with being one of the wisest king who ever lived. His intellect truly exceeded many of his counterparts and fate would use his ancient knowledge to benefit the new Heroes. Dressed in royal, fur robes, and clothing lined with gold, the white haired king walked silently in front of Akeno and Kane, who were waiting for their majesty to speak.

"I called the two of you to inform about a pressing and confidential matter," Silos breathed, his hazel eyes glancing behind him towards his two followers, "and you both are honestly the only members of this council I am comfortable trusting for the time being."

"Me?" Akeno could not help but inquire, puzzled, "But I do not even serve in your kingdom."

At this, Silos smiled smally, "True, General, but we are friends, and have been for quite a while. I have always known you, Akeno, to be an honest man, full of value with complete devotion to your men. I admire you."

Kane Minamoto watched as his king praised his good friend with compliments he had never received himself. He was perturbed by how fond his majesty was of the southern general.

"Anyway," King Silos continued, "the subject I wish to speak about does not concern either of our kingdoms, but rather the kingdom of Kalin in the north…and King Jiro."

"The way he came about being king is certainly a scandal," Kane remarked with a smirk, "are we finally getting to the bottom of that?"

"We should not waste our time judging the past, General Minamoto," Silos replied solemnly, "time will reveal those answers without us even having to look. But if we do attempt to search for things it is not our destiny to know, the present will slip right before us, and we could miss important secrets of what is to come." He pauses, attempting to recollect his thoughts. "Ah, yes, on to the matter at hand…Jiro will be here tonight. I have not seen him in many years since he was a general. When I met him, I was impressed greatly but the incredible skill he displayed with any weapon given to him. He had all the makings of a magnificent warrior. The boy was gifted, and not to be underestimated."

"Why do you think he has not come to these conventions before? Let alone come out in to society," Akeno asked, "I have never seen the man and he has been ruling for seven years."

"My question is similar to yours," the western king stopped his walking to turn to glance out one of the enormous windows lining the hallway. The view looked out over the northern kingdom, eerily covered by a black cloud in the distance, hovering over Kalin's capital, the city of Bethel. "My query, however, is why now? After all these years…I can feel an immense power at work here, but it is a dark, ominous feeling which shakes these old bones of mine."

"What do you mean?" Kane inquired, completely lost now in whatever was going on. More and more, the general has noticed, as the days go on, and the years drag, the king seemed not in his right mind. Speaking riddles, and in cryptic messages. Personally, he believed the king was going mad.

Silos then turned to glance at the black-haired general, with a blank face Akeno had never seen on a king. Dropping the last subject, as if unable to even recall what is was, but still gazing at Kane, Silos began again, "Is it not strange to you that Jiro has marched his armies to various cities along the border of his kingdom? What's even more concerning is the number of men he had mustered up on each frontier. The sheer size of the army is impossible to tell now, for it has grown immensely."

"How many men does he have assigned at each post?" the southern general inquired.

"1,000," the old king replied gravely.

"1,000!" Kane exclaimed, "is he preparing some sort of attack! Does he really have that many men to spare on each base?"

"As far as my spies know, he indeed has 1,000 soldiers at each borderline frontier."

At this, the two generals were stunned in to silence. They could not believe the number and the fact this had happened under their noses. "How on earth does he have an army that big? There are more than 50 frontiers in Kalin. That's over 50,000 soldiers with out even counting the men still stationed at the heart of the kingdom," Akeno gaped, gazing at the floor intensely. He had been blind. These years over peace and triumph for the kingdoms have all left them without a guard.

"Do not repeat any of this information I have told you," King Silos warned, "but I felt you should prepare yourselves just in case…Kane, you are dismissed, I wish to speak to Akeno alone for just one more, quick moment."

Kane gave his king a bewildered glance, but dared not speak back. A wave of jealousy passed through the general, but he swiftly made his leave.

"Your majesty?" Akeno inquired, perplexed and uncomfortable by the current situation.

Silos silenced him, saying, "I did not want to say more in front of Kane. I trust him with my life, but he struggles still with the temptations of the heart. I fear he may think I'm going mad, but there are things not all can comprehend."

"What is all this about?"

"Patience, General, it's about patience and fate," the old king replies, "Have you heard about the Heroes of Old?"

Akeno blinked with surprise at the odd query. "Yes, I've heard legends…but I hardly remember what they were exactly."

Silos merely nods in response. After another moment or two, he says, "I suggest you read about them as soon as possible. And do not speak of what you learn to anyone but me."

Without verbal question, Akeno nodded and bowed, but he wondered what was going on. He could not help but feel exasperated at the entire situation.

"You are dismissed, Akeno. I shall see you tonight," Silos then smiled, "and I must thank you in advance."

* * *

After the carriage dropped off its passengers, one of the butlers had the horses led to the stables. Takuya waited anxiously underneath for the opportune moment to climb out, but he knew he did not have long, for his arms were growing sore and at risk to give out. Finally, once in the barn house, someone unhooked the carriage to put away the horses. Takuya let go of his grip with a grunt, falling on to the hay-covered floor, and rolled out from under the vehicle. Walking out of the stables cautiously, he took out his cape again, tying it back around his collar, and then brushed off some hay from his pants and hair.

Takuya found himself slightly paranoid being so in the open, though his attire blended well with the other noblemen walking about. However, he seemed to be waiting for someone to call him out, but no one did. The young rebel walked swiftly through part of the castle's vast gardens and had to repeatedly remind himself to slow his pace. No one around here walked in a hurry. Stopping, Takuya began observing a couple of men walking by, attempting to study their manners. After a few moments of standing there oddly still in the center of the courtyard, the brunette ran a hand through his thick hair, as he faced Brimnack's large back entrance. He wondered if the soldiers guarding it would stop him. "Well here goes nothing," Takuya muttered, trying to walk as casually as possible through the back doors.

"Good evening, sir," one of the guards greeted as he walked by.

Takuya could not help but be surprised at the unquestioning dignity they showed him. He smiled, loving the respect he was given. "Good evening," the rebel replied, now beginning to feel more at ease in his new surroundings.

He walking in the enormous hall, which was bustling with activity as cooks, maids, and butlers scrambled to have everything ready before the hour, for that was when the ball officially began. Never in his life had Takuya been inside a building so immense and ornamented. Everything seemed to be made of gold and marble. He could not help but feel overwhelmed.

"Excuse me, sir!" exclaimed one of the maids, who nearly knocked the rebel over while he stood, admiring the palace.

"Sorry," Takuya began, but she was gone within a blink. He figured he should move out of the way, or be trampled. To pass the time, Takuya decided to explore.

Unknown to him, Roran and Davis were still attempting to find a way in to the castle. They had been running about the property to mark all the entrances, but of course all of them were guarded. Roran cursed, sitting down on the street to rest and think.

"There has to be some other way into the castle without having to worry about that damn gate!" he groaned with exasperation.

"I agree," Davis responded, studying the side of the castle they were closest too, "it appears we are near the kitchen, and it's curious, I do not understand how this one butler keeps leaving the castle empty handed, and then returning with boxes and crates food of food after disappearing behind that bush."

"What?" Roran questioned, intrigued. Indeed it was odd how this one worker continued to bring supplies to the kitchen by vanishing into a large hedge before returning a little while later with boxes. "Hurry, we have to see what's up this road,"

"They began, but quickly came upon the end of the street, cut off by a cliff, which gave way to the river below. This wide river ran along the north side of the castle, separating the slums of the northern kingdom. Roran again moaned, not even bothering to walk the end of the road. Davis, however, continued. Glancing down at the river, he began enthusiastically, "Roran! There's a small dock down there…and a supply boat is what's dropping off the food."

Roran followed his friend's gaze. There, connected to the large wall was a dock indeed; big enough for only one small boat. Also, leading from the dock was a secret entrance, which the butler used to get back in to the castle grounds. "We have to get in there,"

"Ha, well that is certainly easier said than done," Davis laughed dryly.

"We could jump?" Roran smirked.

"Bloody hell," the brunette muttered, stepping closer to the edge as if he were about to make a leap, but he hesitated. "Dammit, Roran, you know I'm afraid of heights."

"Come, we'll jump on three," the grey-eyed rebel urged, still a small smile on his lips.

"Okay," Davis nodded, glancing down at the water below with a terrible knot in his stomach forming, "one…two…"

"Three!" Roran exclaimed, pushing his friend off the cliff before he could have a chance to react. He then jumped in after Davis. The cold water surprised Roran as it surged all around him, while the strong current began sweeping him along the wall. Resurfacing, the rebel gasped for air while trying to feel around for any object he could grab on to in order to avoid being swept further downstream and away from the dock. He was able to take hold of an uneven stone jetting out from the wall. Clinging to it with one hand, Roran wiped the water from his eyes with the other and glanced around to see if he could find Davis.

Davis had managed to swim over to the dock, hiding underneath it to avoid being seen by a guard unloading the last of the boxes. Roran spotted him, slipping back under the water as he allowed the current to take him further that way. Davis grabbed his ally by the shirt before he was taken too far, though he had half a mind of letting him drown…"I am going to get you for pushing me like that," Davis growled quietly, pulling Roran up out of the water.

The blonde-haired rebel ignored him, peeking over the dock to see that no one was around. "I think the coast is clear, we have to move quickly if we want the door to still be open," Roran whispered. Just as he said this, the guard reappeared from his boat. Davis had already begun climbing on to the deck, and it was too late to stop him. "Wait-,"

The brunette climbed to his feet only to be in full view of the soldier. "Hey!" he exclaimed, and Davis cursed, reacting by punching the man in the face, knocking him out cold.

"Oops," the rebel muttered, retracting his hand, "sorry, Roran, he came out of nowhere."

Roran merely sighed, rolling his eyes as he pulled himself up out of the water. "We have to get out of these clothes," he noted, pointing to the guard, "Dammit, and I left that box with my attire…I'll take his, and we'll find something for you inside."

After taking his armor, the two rebels hid the body on the boat. As they came up from under deck, they saw that the butler had come, beginning to grab another box. Davis then punched him as well, sending him to the floor. "You really should stop punching everyone we see!" Roran snarled, shaking his head in disapproval towards the second unconscious body, "However, those were impressive hits."

Davis grinned proudly at this, "I thought so myself." He then took the butlers clothes before hiding his body on deck as well. After he had changed, the rebels started for the castle.

The ball had gone under way, with families of noblemen all beginning to be introduced. Izumi waited anxiously with her father and mother at the top of the staircase, waiting to be called. Her pale, pink gown had been fitted perfectly, allowing for her to walk easily without tripping on the fabric. Her gold hair was pulled up into a delicate, loose bun, with a few strands hanging about the side of her face. The maids had also pinned some small, pink flowers to her locks, which matched the patterns on her dress.

In front of Izumi's family were the Minamoto's. Kouichi glanced behind his shoulder to the countess, asking quietly, "So is the introduction this still your least favorite part of the evenings?"

"Of course," she sighed, smiling smally, "why on earth would anyone like having all eyes on them for more than a minute? It's absurd to me. I always have these nightmares where I trip and break something very important."

"Well if you do trip, I will simply have to catch you," Kouichi grinned.

"Thank you, but I would hope to spare you the social embarrassment. Besides, my mother would kill me before I even touched the ground," Izumi giggled, but was then parted from her friend as his family was called to make their way down the grand staircase.

"What is that boy's name, again, Izumi?" the countess heard her mother ask, curiously, "I feel as if I can never remember."

"That's Kouichi, dear," Akeno answered, "he's Kane's younger son. Kouji is the older twin, but a minute or so."

"Oh of course," Saki replied, giving her husband a radiant smile, "Kouji had certainly turned in to a fine looking young man, hasn't he? He's the commander, correct? Oh he'd make such a wonderful pair with Izumi."

"Mother," Izumi gasped. How she loathed it when her mother did this, and it wasn't only Kouji she would pair her up with, but various young men from around Kamora. However, Saki particularly pointed out Kouji often, because he was from one of the richer families and was already considered to be a general or count sometime in his near future. Izumi had no interest in Kouji, whatsoever. Though he was good-looking, the commander was cold and occasionally rude. He and the countess have been friends for quite a while, but she was far closer to Junpei and Kouichi. He barely spoke to her now. Izumi knew she was nearing the age of marriage, but if she were allowed to choose who she would wish to marry, the countess would be lost. Kouichi was her dearest friend, but she could not force herself to feel anything beyond friendship for him. Izumi knew how love was supposed to feel. She had never experienced it in real life, but she knew she had felt it at least in her dreams. She could not help but realize bitterly that the young man in her sleep has spoiled her. The affections she held for him had yet to be found by her on earth for someone else, and this might just ruin any opportunity of happiness for her within a marriage. _I'm being absurd, _Izumi thought irritably, _I cannot believe I have fallen in love with a man who does not even exist!_

"Count Akeno Orimoto accompanied by his wife, Countess Saki Orimoto, and their daughter, Countess Izumi Orimoto," suddenly announced the crier.

The Orimoto's made their way down the stairs expertly, and gracefully. Saki held her chin up high, casting brilliant smiles all about the room, while Izumi intentionally averted eye contact with everyone looking upon her. During her descent, which seemed to take ages to accomplish, she focused on the back wall or other various objects around the hall. Once the family made it down to the bottom of the staircase, the feign greetings and petty talk went under way.

Now, Takuya had not been able to leave the refreshments alone. Happily, he was drinking whatever wine came his way while stuffing various pastries into his mouth. The rebel walked around, observing the social atmosphere while receiving various gazes from passing women, who greeted him while batting their eyelashes and curtsying. He would bow in return with a small grin, but then resume to his eating and drinking. He was still uncomfortable within the crowd, for he knew he did not fit in. He did not dance, barely socialized, and ate his way through the hour. _How do people even enjoy these parties?_ he thought to himself, while scanning the room, taking note of all the effort these aristocrats put in to their appearance and their manners. Though the palace was glorious, the decorations overwhelming, and the food extravagant, Takuya could not help but see how very dull the people truly were. Why he wished to come in the first place, he did not know anymore.

Takuya was about to make his leave before something caught his eye. There, below the staircase was the most angelic figure he had ever seen. It felt as if his breath was sucked right out of him and his heart began to beat ten times faster than before. Like a magnet, Takuya began to make his way closer to her, trying to appear casual while slipping his way through the crowd. He stopped at the refreshment table in front of where she stood, pretending to grab some more to eat. The rebel continued to watch her closely. Her bright green eyes seemed distant through all the talk, and her smile was clearly forced. On the spot she was different to him. It seemed as if this young woman was not even trying to hide her resentment for all of this, and the fact amused Takuya. He wished there were something he could do to make her night a bit more enjoyable, but based on the large crowd around her, he figured there was no way he would even get within five feet of the young woman. _It would even be a miracle if she saw me_, he mused, but then, she looked up.

Izumi's eyes locked on with a warm, brown gaze past the people all gathered around her family. The countess was quick to recognize faces, but she knew she had never seen this young man before. He did not even blend in well with the atmosphere to her. He was quite tall, with strong, rugged features she rarely saw in noblemen, who were too sheltered to develop those sort of physical traits. She would have thought he was a general, but he did not wear the proper attire for one of that title. However, Izumi was stuck on his eyes; those dark, warm eyes which held an unknown sincerity to her. Gazing at them relaxed her, but this as well, ironically, perturbed the countess. _How can those eyes seem familiar yet, unrecognizable all at the same time? _she wondered. Groups of people continued to crowd her, and she tried looking away from the young man, blushing, but noticed he was still staring at her. She then tried her best to just ignore him, desperately trying to keep herself engaged in her current conversation she was having with a senator. When she looked up at the young man again, she noticed he was gone.

"Roran, what the hell are you doing?" Takuya exclaimed with surprise as his friend appeared out of nowhere, grabbing him by the collar and pinning him behind a marble pillar.

"_Me_. I'm here to get you! _You_ are the one, who should not be even close to this event! Carmen will have our heads if she finds out about this!" Roran growled, glancing about to see if anyone was watching them, "Now come on, we have to go."

"But-You just got here! You simply must try the wine," Takuya urged, peeking around the pillar back towards the young woman from before.

"You're joking," Roran scoffed, trying to tear the brunette away from the scene. Eventually, he was successful, and the two weaved their way through the room of people. "Have you seen Davis?" Roran groaned, just remembering they still had to locate him. He began to scan nearby faces while dropping his grip from Takuya's vest.

"He came too?" Takuya laughed, and then spotted their friend, acting as a butler by passing out glasses of wine while holding a platter of cheese. "There he is," the rebel pointed, and as Roran started to make his way to Davis, Takuya slipped back in to the crowd, trying to get as far away as possible now.

Roran reached Davis, still unaware of his friend's disappearance. "Come, we must go," he whispered, "I found Takuya."

Davis peers behind Roran's shoulder and sees no one. Raising an eyebrow, he inquires, "Where is he exactly?"

Turning around, Roran realizes Takuya had escaped him again. "Dammit!" he mutters, feeling utterly foolish, "Roran you idiot…"

Davis chuckles with amusement, then shrugs, offering Roran a cube of cheese. "This is the best thing I have ever tried," he says casually, "Might as well have some. Also, drink some wine…you seem tense."

Roran gives his friend an icy glare before slapping away the cheese, shouting, "I am tense, you damn idiot." He then storms off in pursuit of Takuya once more.

"I cannot believe you just wasted the last piece of goat cheese!" Davis calls after him, now irritable with his ally's pessimistic mood.

Meanwhile, Izumi found herself curious as to where that young man went. After he had vanished, she soon began to feel overwhelmed with her surroundings. Frustrated and struggling for air, Izumi excused herself from conversation and exited the hall through the back doors, making her way to the dimly lit courtyard. Already exhausted, she collapses on a white, stone bench nearby. The countess sighed, wondering if all this really were to be the rest of her life; trapped within a meaningless world with meaningless events and meaningless people.

"Is it tiring?" came a deep voice from behind her. Turning around, she is startled to see before her the dark-eyed young man from before. Realizing he frightened her, he goes on to apologize, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. I-you seemed preoccupied anyway,"

Izumi couldn't help but smile as he began to mumble, while a blush crept up his face. After a minute, she realized she was still staring at him and flushed a bright red herself, saying quickly, "No, no! I was just-well, yes I am tired, but I was not preoccupied, really."

"Well, if you are indeed tired, it _must_ be tiring," Takuya assumed, giving her a comforting grin before sitting down next to her.

"What must be tiring?" the countess inquired, not quite comprehending what the rebel was getting at.

Takuya shrugged before continuing, "The ball? These 'festivities'? The conversation? I can't help but notice the façade can get a bit overwhelming."

Izumi gave him an odd look, surprised by what he just said. He was exactly right, but how? "Who are you?" she asked, almost suspiciously.

The rebel could not help but find her suspicion amusing. She was perceptive. He thought about using a different name, but arrogantly did not want her to end up thinking of him with a false identity. "Takuya Kanbara at your service," he stands up to give her a clumsy bow, causing her to laugh.

She stands up as well, smiling and curtsying while greeting in a sarcastic tone, "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance Sir Takuya. I'm Izumi Orimoto."

Takuya chuckled as they made a mockery of the standard greeting. He vaguely recognized her surname, but was not exactly sure where it was from. "Izumi…" he repeats almost breathlessly, causing her cheeks to turn red yet again.

Circling him, the countess attempts to hide her blush, asking coyly, "So, where are you from, and why have I not seen you at these conventions before?"

"Um," he stuttered, not sure what to say at this point. He figured she was of some high rank, so he wanted to portray himself as esteemed as well, "I'm a Commander from the, uh, eastern kingdom…and this is my first year as being so, which may explain my absence from these events."

Izumi then nodded with acknowledgement, most of her suspicion out the window. She felt very at ease around him, which was strange to her, seeing as they had just met. So, this is your first time and you've already discovered that all this is a facade," Izumi said as she came back around to the bench, sitting once again, "Well you are quick. It took me years to see this."

Takuya shook his head in disagreement, stepping closer to her, "I do not believe that to be true. I think that you have always seen it. You may just have recently accepted it,"

Izumi glanced up at him sadly, with a bit of frustration, "How would you know? You do not even know me?"

Takuya notices that she is upset. For some reason, seeing her like this bothered him more than anything else could. And he felt as if he did know her; she seemed so familiar to him, but he had no clue as to how. After a moment or two, Takuya extends his hand, smiling smally, "Dance with me? Please?"

Though it was completely informal, and odd to be asked so abruptly without putting it down on her card, Izumi could not help but accept. She was absolutely charmed by him, no doubt about that. "Out here?" she inquired, bemused when she realized that he had no intention of taking her back inside.

"Why not? We can still here the music, and it's much more comfortable outside, wouldn't you agree?" Takuya took her by the hand, bringing her close to him. He placed his other hand on her waist and began to count the beats to the waltz.

She was the first to start, for he honestly had very little idea as to what h was doing. "Have you even danced before?" she giggled, watching him continue to gaze at his footwork.

"Hardly," Takuya mumbled, trying his best to keep up, but they were already off tempo.

Izumi laughed again. She could not recall a time she laughed so hard, though she felt bad that it was at his expense. Takuya did not mind in the least, however, for he could listen to her laughter all day. Finally, after about another five minutes, the rebel began to sync up with the music, this time more easily, though he would still occasionally look down at his feet. While they continued their waltz, Izumi took a glance about the courtyard, muttering almost distantly, "I've always loved the gardens. These gardens are some of the most beautiful I've seen, but my favorite is still the one at my own home. I could spend ages there, getting lost in the hedges, exploring the flowers and plants. I am not allowed outside anywhere else alone, so it's all I have by means of an escape. "Sometimes I find myself wishing..." Izumi stopped, wondering why on earth she was telling him all of this. It was as if she held no guard up around him.

"Sometimes you wish you had more freedom," Takuya finished for her after listening to her speak intently. He grinned as her bright green eyes looked up at him with surprise. "Oh, trust me, it's clear you want to escape this life, or at least to me it is," he began, but his smile faltered as the rebel continued, "but I do not think you know exactly what you're wishing for. It's not easy living in the world outside eithr. I-I mean-many out there would give anything to be in here,"

"I never said it was easy!" Izumi snapped defensively, "and they are foolish to wish for a life within an invisible cage. At least they are free."

Takuya looked down, not sure how to respond except with, "They are not as free as you think."

The countess paused again, trying not to meet his stare, but he kept glancing away. She could not help but grow suspicious of the rebel once more, though she let the feeling quickly pass, for she was more worried she had upset him. Finally, after a few moments, Takuya gazed back up at her with a childish smile, which immediately dissipated all tension the Izumi had been sensing, and she laughed. "What?" she inquired, amused.

"You know what I would do if I had a garden like this?" Takuya started, motioning his head towards the vast grounds, which stretched in to the dark night.

"What would you do, Sir Takuya?" she went along playfully.

"I would play hide and seek."

Izumi raised her eyebrow, while he continued to spin her to the music, "And what is 'hide and seek'?"

Takuya gaped at her, causing the countess to giggled even more. "It's only the most fun of childhood games! One person is chosen to close their eyes and count to, let's say, 50. During that time, one or more people go and hide before time runs out. Then, when the person counting is done, he or she goes out and looks for the others. If everyone is found, the seeker wins, but if the seeker cannot find a person or two, those hiders win."

Izumi frowned slightly, "Never did I once play such a game when I was younger. Also, it obviously seems as if you need more than one person to play. Who would I play with?"

"Well, you could play with me."

"Now?" she looks at him uncertainly, but the rebel merely nods, chuckling. Glancing about, the countess sees that the courtyard is next to empty, with only a few couples walking about arm in arm. No one she recognized. "Alright, you count," Izumi ordered, still a bit worried about the entire idea. This was beyond improper for one of her statue, but something about Takuya seemed informal anyway, and this was excuse enough for her.

"Yes, ma'am," the rebel laughed, jokingly saluting her. "Try not to get to far, or else I'll never find you."

And with that, Izumi smiles with fright, worry, but excitement all playing her visage. Takuya begins to count and the countess soon disappears in to the tall hedges.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry about the late update. Honestly everything is insane as my senior year comes to a close._

_Chapter Summary:_

_Izumi clearly has an estranged relationship with her mother, for Saki seems to be the typical aristocratic woman. Meanwhile, Takuya has made is safely in to the castle grounds, but feels completely out of place in the atmosphere. Though he secretly has wished to experience such society, the rebel could not feel more uncomfortable. Roran and Davis on the other hand are struggling to simply find a way inside the castle grounds, but eventually manage. They go in trying to look for their reckless friend. In Akeno's situation, things turn awkward when King Silos of the West puts trusts him over Kane, the actual general for the West. Kane envies this, but does not say a word. However, the men learn that Jiro's military posts are armed to the extreme will hundreds of men, and he is moving more out from the center of the kingdom, an act which usually signals conflict. Silos then instructs Akeno to do some research on the Heroes of Old. _

_The ball in under way and people are anxious for Jiro's appearance, but Takuya still feels uncomfortable and has decided it was best for him to leave. However, just as he is about to make his exit, Izumi and her family are introduced to the room, causing his attention to divert to her. Suddenly, he seems drawn to her, but not just by her uncommon beauty, but to her expression towards the event, which is sullen and weary. Curious to learn more about her, Takuya follows and converses with her in the gardens, where they had both escaped to._

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (even though we haven't met all of them):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sile-oh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

Major Cities:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
Capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

New Characters:

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

Characters:

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation.


	5. The Dark Apprentice

**_Shadowed Flame  
_****A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

Disclaimer: I do not own the series or the characters.

_A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the late update, but my family surprised my siblings and I with a little vacation. But anyway, I am back and so excited to be graduating in three days :D Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying the story! Please tell me what you think by reviewing :) and thank you to all those who reviewed last chapter! Usually I reply, but I have been such a mess lately D: Haha, well here comes the next chapter, and remember that if you get confused, there is a reference and chapter summary down at the bottom of the page :)_

* * *

_**Chapter 4:  
**__The Dark Apprentice_

* * *

The ballroom music continued to play in soothing measures as Akeno glanced about the party anxiously. Not only was Kalin's king expected to arrive any minute, but also his daughter was nowhere to be found. Saki, who stood beside him, tried to hide the irritation playing her face while she continued to converse with their company. During a break in the conversation, she turned to her husband. "Where's Izumi?" she whispered irritably, though her lips continued to stay etched with a smile.

"I have no idea," Akeno shrugged, still searching the room.

Saki forcefully turned his head by his jaw to face her, then demanded, "Find her, there's no use in you being here if you shall not converse with me anyway."

Like a dog with its tail between its legs, Akeno nodded and obeyed his wife, leaving the scene but only to find King Silos. The general bowed before him, inquiring, "My lord, have you seen my daughter?"

"No, I'm afraid I have not," Silos shook his head regretfully, but then motioned for Akeno to follow him, "though I do have information saying Jiro's carriage is at the gates. He should be arriving any minute now."

Akeno's eyes grew wide with both surprise and eagerness. He gazed up at the grand staircase the king would be expected to descend anon. "And what are we to do when we see him?" the general questioned, struggling to keep his nerves at bay. However, his mind was racing like a horse amidst a field of battle.

"We pay him his respected, but treat him no differently than any other leader," Silos responded casually, "Many have not yet seen him, so he will be crowded with conversation most of the night. We will have to be patient. When the time comes, we will make small talk with him, but confront him about nothing, understand?"

Akeno nodded, though he wondered when Silos would challenge the northern king about the matters at hand. It made obvious sense not to bring up such conversation tonight, but their time was limited. These conventions took only four to seven days.

Meanwhile, Roran and Davis found no sign of Takuya. The grey-eyed rebel groused as he began leaning on a nearby pillar. "Oh, that's not allowed. No leaning on the columns," Davis said, pushing Roran to stand upright.

Roran gave his ally an incredulous look, before quietly exploding, "Do you jest? Here I am trying to save our jobs and our mission by actually searching for Takuya, and there _you_ are drinking while passing out h'orderves! Now you are telling me I cannot lean on a pillar?"

"Well," Davis mumbled, his mouth full of cheese, "I guess I could but it's against the Butler's Code, for we are not allowed to let guests lean against the columns. That is what the governess, who went over all the rules with us, said. It's also improper, apparently."

"Davis, you are not a butler!" Roran snapped loudly when suddenly the music stopped, and chatter disappeared into silence. Roran and Davis both froze before realizing that all attention was not on them, but actually to the grand staircase. The two rebels then looked to it as well.

There at the top stood a tall figure with eyes as black as night and skin as pale as snow. His hair was a dark brown, combed back with a slick gel, and a small smirk was evident behind his short beard. Though his eyes were dark, they still held a sort of charisma and brightness to them, and his face lacked any blemish. His figure was strong, built with a body of war. His shoulders were broad and he held his chin high, emphasizing his powerful jaw. Overall, the man was exceedingly handsome and youthful in appearance. It seemed like an eternity before his name was called out.

"King Jiro of Kalin," announced the crier and an inaudible gasp seemed to escape the audience.

Roran and Davis exchanged wide glances, while the blonde rebel went on to whisper with shock, "That can't be him, that man appears as if he's 30!"

Meanwhile, across the hall, Akeno's reaction was not much different. The music began again, while conversation slowly started to resume. "He is so young…it can't be him," Akeno gaped, then turned to Silos, who looked more disturbed than surprised.

The old king scratched his white beard, merely shaking his head. He then went in to deep thought, while observing the new arrival from afar. Jiro was already making pleasant conversation with a number of aristocrats, who were desperately wishing to be on his good humor. Silos unsteadily grabbed a cup of wine from the nearest 'butler', which happened to be Davis, for he and Roran had crossed the room to get a better look at Jiro. "What are the Gods up too," muttered the old king to himself before taking a much needed sip of the wine.

The general overheard and for a brief moment thought that Silos was indeed slightly mad. "Are you sure that is Jiro? It could possibly be his son."

"No!" Silos betrayed loudly, "It is him. He looks exactly the same as when I met him years ago. But if you still do not believe me, for I sense your doubt, Akeno, look at the back of his neck. If there is a birthmark there, then it is him. Look, for my old eyes are failing me."

Akeno peered closely and when Jiro turned to speak to someone, the general saw faint, black markings, which seemed to be covered by makeup of some sort, but indeed something was there on the king's skin. "By God, it is him. That is remarkable…I don't understand, my king, why is he still so young?"

"I do not even know that," Silos answered gravely, "come, let us speak to him."

The rebels were not too far away, and they managed to overhear the king and general conversing. "That was king Silos!" Davis blurted with astonishment at being so close to the famous king, but then his face turned serious, "Roran this is strange. Not even the wisest king in Kamora knows what's going on. I am quite confident in saying that Jiro should be at least in his fifties, yet…there he is…"

"Yet, there he is indeed," Roran mused, turning away from the scene in order to think. "It's strange…he looks like…never mind, we have to find Takuya."

* * *

Izumi felt as if she were in a new place, far away from the castle, possibly within a deep forest, with nothing but the moonlight illuminating her path. She had found a hiding spot within a maze decorating the center courtyard, and had now been squatting behind the hedge for about ten minutes, waiting to see if Takuya could find her. Her anxiety and fear made her stomach turn with thrill. She loved this feeling of excitement, and could not recall the last time she had felt it. _Hide and seek is a game noteworthy indeed,_ she thought giddily, while struggling to stay still and quiet. The night was calm. The only sounds came from the muffled music of the now distant party, a few crickets, and the running water within the fountains. Izumi waited and listened. Behind her, she heard the hedge begin to rustle, and she jumped up in fright. The countess sighed, however, when she realized it was a bird. She was happy to know Takuya had yet to find her, for she felt the sudden need to win this game. _Thank goodness it was simply a lark,_ she thought, _I almost thought he had almost-_

"Found you!" Takuya suddenly appears, bursting through the hedge beaming with a boyish grin. Izumi yelps, practically falling in terror, but the rebel was quick to grab her arm and catch her.

The countess could not do anything but laugh at her utter fright. She had not felt so much thrill since she was a little girl, sneaking around the castle and in to her father's kitchen to steal sweets. Izumi glanced up at Takuya, blushing fiercely to realize she was in his arms. The rebel had been too busy gazing at her to notice their current state, but when he did manage to snap out of his trance, Takuya quickly pulled away stammering through an apology while his face turned bright red as well. Though she was amused by his reaction, Izumi could not help but let a small frown reveal itself upon her lips for it seemed as if the air around her had suddenly turned cold. That feeling of loneliness had once again set in, but now it felt ten times worse. She panicked. Why were her emotions so strong all of a sudden? What was he feeling?

"Izumi!" the countess hears a distant voice calling her name, "Izumi!" It was her mother.

Trying not to sound worried or disappointed, Izumi turns back toward the young man before her, asking, "Will you see me again, Takuya?"

Though Takuya knew she most likely would not, for he was not in her social caste nor could she ever know who he truly is, he answers honestly, because he could not lie to her, "I will try." But Izumi could see the doubt flash within those warm eyes of his, though he gives her a small smile, insisting, "Trust me."

Izumi's eyes go wide, for all of a sudden he seemed so familiar to her. She was about to respond until she heard her mother call again.

"Izumi!"

"I must go," the countess whispers, slipping past him, but not leaving completely until she says, "Goodnight, Takuya."

With that, she disappears. The rebel mentally kicked himself for simply standing there like a moron with no response, but he had been too much in awe to say anything. He could not believe how besotted he was by her already. He was then determine to see her again. Takuya would not let this be the only and last time he would be with her. Swiftly, he moves out of the maze and watches her go back inside with her mother from a distance.

Izumi was unable to even look back, for Saki was quick to pull her daughter back in to the mask-less masquerade. "Where on earth have you been?" Saki inquired practically livid, "Do you realize how rude it is to simply disappear? So very improper. Especially when people ask about you."

Izumi merely rolled her eyes, replying heatedly, "I merely wished to walk about the gardens. Besides…I am sure no one of importance asked about me so why should I bother?"

Saki gasped at her shrewd comment, but composed herself within the scene. "Do not ever leave like that again," she continued to scold, giving her daughter a chilling glare, "I could not have been granted a more disobedient daughter."

The two women brushed right past Roran and Davis, who were still watching Jiro. It wasn't until Takuya reappeared through the back doors, did their attention divert from the king. Roran immediately marched over to the brunette, grabbing him again by the collar. "This time I'm not letting you go," Roran growled.

"Roran, calm down," Davis sighed, breaking the two apart, "we don't want to cause another scene."

"Long time no see, gentlemen," Takuya smirked, rubbing his neck, which was sore from all the mistreatment, "what have you both been up to?"

"Jiro's here," Roran spat coldly, glowering at his ally, "we've been observing him and looking for you."

Takuya raised an eyebrow, questioning, "So he actually came? I did not think he would really make an appearance. Where is he?"

"He's over there," Davis answered, motioning discreetly over to the man still at the bottom of the staircase. King Silos and Akeno had finally made their way over to him, for the three began to speak.

Takuya ran a hand through his messy hair, commenting, "That's odd. He seems a bit…young."

"Well aren't we observant?" Roran muttered sarcastically, "But yes, it is more than odd, it's disturbing. Impossible, really. But even old king Silos says it is him. We overheard he and the general of the south speaking."

Takuya continued to watch the northern king curiously. This was clearly unexpected. Roran and Davis also found it hard to tee their mind and eyes away from Jiro, for it was almost surreal to actually be seeing him in the flesh. The man, who was the Liberation's top enemy and responsible for the heartache and murders of their friends, was standing strong before them. It was difficult to know how to react.

While Takuya continued to study him, Jiro actually met his stare, and the rebel could not help but be startled. Suddenly, Jiro's face fell ever so slightly in shock, though he was trying not to reveal anything. His black eyes were giving him away, however, for they were mixed with anger, disbelief, and anguish. This confused Takuya greatly. He found himself having to turn away.

"Come, we must go," Roran announced, also uneasy by the situation. The three made their leave.

Meanwhile, Akeno and Silos had managed to obtain an audience with the northern king. The general bowed with respect while Silos shook Jiro's hand, greeting, "Long time no see, old friend,"

Jiro nodded, giving the two a broad grin, "Indeed! It is quite an honor to see you again, I hope all is well,"

"Everything is blessed," the old king replies formally, then motions to the general, "I would like to introduce you to my good ally, General Akeno Orimoto. He fights for the southern kingdom of Renai."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," says the king, "I have heard only good things about you and your legendary conquests. I could use someone such as yourself in my kingdom."

Akeno bowed his head graciously, "Surely, your majesty, you have a fine army without me. But I am humbled by your compliment."

Jiro smiled, continuing enthusiastically, "We must have dinner sometime. I would love for the opportunity to speak with both of you privately and to greater lengths. I-" he suddenly stopped as his eyes landed on something else. Silos followed Jiro's gaze, and saw that it was on a younger, tall man across the hall. The old king took note of Jiro's ambiguous visage, an grew exceedingly curious about the young man that had captured his attention. In the next second, Jiro was back to normal, with a smile on his lips and lively eyes back on his company.

"Gentlemen, I'm afraid I must retire to my room. It has been a long journey and I must rest for tomorrow's conventions. I hope to see you again." Jiro grinned, before muttering something to his burly, dark haired guard. The two then left the hall.

Akeno blinked, unsure of what just happened. "My king?" he began to question, trying to read Silos' solemn face.

The old king looked up, saying, "I think I shall call it a night as well..." with that, he turns to leave but not before adding, "I suggest we begin studying."

_Studying?_ Akeno thought, perplexed, _studying what?_

* * *

Late that night, Carmen entered the base of the Liberation after a long, tiring day. It was one of those uneventful afternoons with nothing but mapping out areas, and ordering rebels. She walked to her office, closed the door, and sank in her chair, while untying the sword from her hip. The rebel leader sighed, closing her eyes, "Finally...a moment of pea-"

"Carmen!" came Ken, bursting through the door.

"Oh this better be good," she groused, glaring at him, "What is it?"

"You know that military base Jiro established ten miles away from this border?"

"Of course, I know it. Spit it out," she snapped.

Ken paused, trying to catch his breath. "A report says that there are 1,000 men alone at that base...and more are coming," the rebel breathes.

Carmen gaped at him, "Bloody hell, is he expanding to the border? God, that cannot possibly be accurate. The other kingdoms will not allow it."

"It is," Ken says gravely, "and not only that, but some men say the soldiers aren't…well humans, but some mutations or mutants. It's very peculiar."

"Do you really believe everything you hear?" Carmen scoffed with exasperation seeping through her teeth, but deep inside she was full of uncertainty. "I suppose we should send our own spies to take a look…Where are Davis and Roran?"

Ken shrugs. "No one has seen them since the parade," he states.

Carmen gave him a disbelieving glance, "That was early this afternoon. It's near midnight now, what do you mean know one has seen them?"

"Well, I mean no one has seen them," Ken gulped, unsure how to reply, "Takuya is also missing."

"Dammit," she cursed, "they better have a good excuse when they return."

"Carmen! Carmen!" came another voice for the door, "there is someone at the base entrance asking for you. Should we let her in?"

"Her? Do we even know who she is?" Carmen inquired, slightly distressed.

"Um, no. She's not one of us, but…she simply keeps asking for you, and will not leave. She is unarmed, however, and is wearing a long, hooded cloak. We cannot make out her face," the rebel explains, gulping with fear before asking again, "Should we let her in?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed with exasperation, "since when did we let in strangers and possible enemies in to our barracks. Has the world gone mad! First of all, how did she find us? And why is she hear in the middle of the bloody night!"

The rebel only shrugged, backing out of the office slowly. Ken, who had been listening to the situation with interest, turned back to Carmen to see her retying her sword to her belt. "You actually going out there?" he questioned with alarm, "That woman could be dangerous! It has to be an ambush. It's pitch black out there!" Ken saw that his words were not phasing Carmen in the least. "May the Gods help us," he muttered.

"Stop praying to the Gods," Carmen scoffed, narrowing her gaze, "they do not exist. Someone has to tell this woman to leave, and I would rather do it quickly myself, so that I may actually obtain some rest tonight."

"Better you than me, I suppose," Ken mumbled.

"Oh, but I wish for you to come as well," Carmen insisted, smiling wickedly, "it might be such fun and I do not want you to miss it,"

Ken groaned, following her out the door, "You are really too kind, Carmen,"

The two traverse through the dimly lit halls, with a few other guards behind them, swords and spears in hand. Carmen, draws her sword as she nears the entrance. She pushes aside one of the rebels, who was glancing outside in to the moonlit night to catch a glimpse of the mysterious woman. "Move," she demands, peeking out the peephole herself. The figure was taller than she expected. Much taller. The woman had to be over six feet. The hood covered half her face, but Carmen could still make out faint markings or tattoos lining the woman's skin. _That is most unusual, _the rebel leader thought, _never have I seen a woman bear so many markings. _"Who are you?" Carmen demanded, not comfortable unlocking the metal doors quite yet.

The hooded woman does not move. Her head stays slightly titled downward, and her lips stay closed in a solemn line. Ken then managed to steal a glance, and cursed with fear under his breath. "Look, Carmen, the wind outside is blowing. You can hear it and feel it coming through, but her cloaks still do not move…this is magic," he stammers.

"Shut up! I've had enough of you and your foolish tales and beliefs!" Carmen snapped, but knew he was right about the wind. It was strange it seemingly blew through the figure. Whipping around to the guards, she growls, "Why isn't she speaking? Did she not ask for me!"

"She did, we swear!" one cries.

"We do not know what is going on now!" another adds.

Turning back to the door, Carmen steps back. "Open it," she orders.

"What? Are you insane?" Ken begins.

"Bloody hell, just open the damn door!" she commands, veins popping from her neck in stress.

The rebels hesitantly began to unlock the heavy metal door. Carmen stood there waiting, more anxious than frightened. After the entrance was partially opened, she stepped through, confronting the hooded figure head on. She gripped her sword tightly, keeping it low but ready. "Now," Carmen began, glancing behind her shoulder to see Ken and the others fearfully watching the scene. "Who are you?" she demanded, turning back around, squinting in the darkness.

The hooded figure did not move, but responded in a haunting, yet beautiful voice, "You would not believe me if I told you…so why should I say you I am?"

Carmen blinked. Though the mysterious woman's voice was eerie, it was not menacing. Also, it unsettled the rebel that she noticed the woman's lips were not moving, but she could still hear her words. "What…what do you want?" Carmen inquired, perplexed more than ever.

The woman lifted her head ever so slightly, but not much else of her appearance was revealed. "I wish to speak to you, Carmen Renai," she answered, a small smile appearing on her lips, "You have been chosen."

"Chosen?" Carmen repeated, practically scoffed, "Chosen for what may I ask?"

The woman chuckled, suddenly glancing up, unveiling a pair of pupiless eyes, glowing with a pale blue light. Carmen jumped with fear. _Was this a ghost?_ She thought wildly as she continued to examine the woman's elaborate tattooed face, and the markings only seemed to enhance her beauty. They soon began to glow as well. Carmen directly met that ghostly gaze and fell in to a sort of trance. Her sword fell to the ground.

"Carmen?" Ken yelled, panicked, "Carmen!"

"Tá tú bheannaigh!" The woman exclaimed, extending her hand towards the rebel leader as a pale light began to form in her palm. "Spiorad an uisce!" With that, the hooded figure casted a powerful beam of energy towards Carmen, hitting her square in the chest. The force did not move her, but the rebel could feel a new power surging through her veins and rejuvenating her body. The whole alley became illuminated. Ken and the other rebels were forced to shield their eyes and look away.

…When it was all over, Carmen's body was found lying still on the floor, glowing, and the mysterious woman was gone.

* * *

Kouji Minamoto watched Jiro disappear up a set of stairs leading to the right wing of the castle where the chambers were. He was most curious about the charismatic ruler. But suspicion was evident within the back of his mind. The young commander knew that this ball had its share of strange events and characters, and also knew that Jiro should very well be older. He also noted how odd an aristocrat and a butler had been acting; running around frantically, whispering, and arguing with each other. But what caught more of his attention was a tall young man he did not recognize at all, but was dressed as a commander…and Kouji knew all of the commanders. He watched inquisitively as the butler, Davis, the aristocrat, Roran, and the commander, Takuya, all met together, observing Jiro, before departing. It was a strange combination that was most peculiar.

"Have you really been leaning against this pole doing nothing all night, brother? You have no fun. Look, there are beautiful women everywhere! I could introduce you to a few," Kouichi scoffed, coming up to his twin with an amused look. Junpei followed behind him, though he was scanning the room trying to locate Izumi. "What are you doing?"

Kouji looked at him with a small smirk, "I've been observing the crowd. It so happens this ball had not been as dull as past ones."

"'Okay, well that's all well and good," Junpei replied, clearly preoccupied, "have you two seen Izumi? The last song if about to begin?"

"I thought I saw her retire to her room," Kouichi shrugged, patting his friend's back, "and that reminds me…I am to retire to Miss Elizabeth's room." He grinned mischievously.

Junpei sighed, "You're a dog, Kouichi…but I had not seen Izumi all night!"

Kouji pretended to listen, but his mind was elsewhere. "Have you two not found it odd how Jiro suddenly left? He just arrived and retired not even twenty minutes of being here," he muttered.

Junpei scratched his chin, replying, "Well, yes, it's not exactly normal, but I'm sure he was tired from his journey. What I still do not understand is why the man is so young, but there is not much surgery cannot fix nowadays."

Kouichi chuckled, "Yes, I am sure that is the explanation. But in all honesty, I am just as suspicious as Kouji on this matter. I say we investigate!"

"Do not be so foolish," Kouji mocked, rolling his eyes, "we cannot do anything of the sort, especially at these conventions which promote peace! If we are caught doing the slightest investigation, we could be charged with treason. Do not reveal your true suspicions to anyone."

Kouichi frowned, upset his brother became so aggravated by the suggestion. "Alright, well, I am going to find Miss Elizabeth. Tell father I am in our room if he asks," the twin sighed, leaving.

Kouji merely nods, then looks to Junpei, as if he were expecting the knight to leave as well. "Oh right, I suppose you wish to be alone…as always," Junpei groused, "eh, I am going to get some sleep…alone. Don't think too hard, Commander, you might end up hurting yourself one day."

* * *

_A/N: Things are now going to start to pick up so get ready ;)_

_Chapter Summary:_

_So the ball has been under way for a couple hours now and Roran and Davis are still searching for Takuya, but everything is interrupt when Jiro enters the room. The hall lets out an inaudible gasp as they notice that the King is considerably younger than he should be and extremely handsome. Not even the wise king Silos can explain as to why the king is so youthful in appearance, looking as if is he in his early 30s, when he should be over 50. Akeno and Silos decide to attempt to obtain an audience with Jiro. Meanwhile, Takuya and Izumi must go their separate ways as Saki Orimoto comes in to the garden, looking for her daughter. Takuya goes back and finds Roran and Davis, who point out Jiro to him. Takuya and Jiro meet each other's gazes, and to Takuya's surprise, the northern king is more than perturbed to see him. But the question is why?_

_Meanwhile, Carmen and her rebels are unsettled by a strange visitor. The ghostly woman standing at the entrance to the rebel camp, is asking only to see Carmen. Bravely, the rebel leader goes out to meet her, but finds that the lady is anything but normal. THe mysterious cloaked woman casts what seems like a blinding spell on Carmen, and when it is all finished, Carmen is left on the floor unconscious. _

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (even though we haven't met all of them):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sile-oh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Major Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
Capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation.


	6. Heroes of Old

**_Shadowed Flame  
_****A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

Disclaimer: I do not own the series or the characters.

_A/N: Hey everyone! Who else thinks that the story cover idea is AWESOME :D Anyway, while the cover to this story seems pretty creepy, you'll come to see that it is quit appropriate :) I did not make the photo...I just found it on the internet lol Anyway, thank to everyone who reviewed! Please review again and tell me what you think as you read this chapter. THere is ALOT of info in this next chap so feel free to glance at the reference if you get confused! But I think you all will like the characters you meet in this chapter, I quite enjoyed them myself :]_

* * *

_**Chapter 5:  
**__The Heroes of Old_

* * *

It was early the next day after the ball when Akeno awoke from his short sleep. He did not get much that night, for his thoughts were running wildly about within his head. He was too hungry for knowledge about this current situation to rest properly. Just before dawn, the general rose from his bed, dressed, and travelled to the opposite wing of the castle where an old library was said to be located. With him he carried an oil lamp to light his way through the halls, finally coming to a pair of large, mahogany wood doors. Above the entrance was an inscription carved into the marble walls that read:

"The Library of Kings"

Akeno looked back down to examine the doors, which were glossed and carved with faces and crowned humans he could not recognize. Beneath the figures, however, he noticed there were captions identifying them. "Renai, Kalin, Awai, and Aernal..." Akeno read aloud under his breath. "These are the Gods from the old myths..." he concluded, remembering the stories about them he used to hear when he was child. He always found it interesting how the four major kingdoms were named after the four major deities.

After studying the doors a bit more, Akeno took hold of an iron handle on the entrance and began to pull it open. He immediately could tell the library had not been used in ages. The hinges desperately needed to be oiled, dust coated the handle, and cob webs had formed between the doors, becoming quite evident as they stretched out and fell away when the entrance was opened. Akeno grunted, finally pulling the doors far enough apart for him to slip through.

He cautiously entered, holding the lamp before him. The room was enormous, but also in complete disarray. Books were sprawled across the floor, and webs had formed on those as well. Akeno groaned with slight frustration as he wondered how he was going to find any information on the Heroes if the place was so disorganized.

"By the name of the Gods! A visitor!" squealed a voice within the darkness.

Akeno jumped, swinging his lamp around to see no one in sight. "Who's there?" the general shouted, "Show yourself!" He cursed himself for not bringing his sword!

"Look what you've done Makko! You've scared him!" echoed another voice, "What did I tell you about getting too excited?"

"I do not remember! That lecture could have been a century ago, and let's not forget, you lecture me daily," the other voice replied.

"Expose yourselves at once, by the command of the general!"

"Oo, a general, we're sooo frightened," laughed the voices, and one continued, "what are you gonna do kill us?"

"Ahaha! Good one Sakko! It's funny because we're already dead!"

"Yes, I know why it's funny! You do not need to explain to me why my own jokes are funny!" the voice growled with vexation.

Finally the two voices revealed themselves, appearing in front of Akeno in a light mist. The general gaped to see two white, transparent figures. Their apparel was very similar to those of the butlers, except their style was a bit out dated. "Are you...ghosts?" Akeno gasped.

The two identical figures looked at each other then back at the general with offense. "I beg your pardon, but we prefer the term Spirits...ghosts are so unsophisticated. All they do is go about moaning and groaning. We are here as guardians of this library. We help keep it, well, nice," the one on the right explained.

Akeno took another look at the clutter and even notice mold forming on the walls. "I see you're doing a good job," the general scoffed, but was still in slight shock. He had heard many ghost stories on his travels, and he figured most to be true for even Kings had reported seeing them. However, it never occurred to him that he too might one day come face to face with such entities. Though he soon realized these two could probably assist him, "What are your names?"

"We are the brothers, Makko and Sakko," the two replied with proud grins. "And now we must know who you are, for you are the first visitor we've had in almost fifty years! Oh happy day!"

"I am General Akeno Orimoto, for the kingdom of Renai," he replied.

"Ah, I would shake your hand if I could but unfortunately we would just go right through one another," Makko explained with a chortle, floating towards the general, "but tell us, what can we help you with? The exit?"

Akeno chuckled, "No, believe it or not I come for information. Do you have anything about the Heroes of Old?"

"The Heroes of Old?" Sakko repeated narrowing his eyes suspiciously, "and what in Kamora do you want those for?"

"Sakko, be nice!" the other spirit snapped. Turning back to Akeno, Makko gave him an apologetic look, "Sorry about that, it is are a sensitive issue, because our last visitor also wished to see those books but he tried destroying them! We barely managed to save them."

"Destroy them? Why?"

"We do not know," Sakko sighed, "but he was a conniving fellow...actually come to think of it, he was a general like yourself."

Akeno raised an eyebrow, perplexed, "What was his name?"

The two thought. Seemed like eternity before Makko answered, "Jiro, I believe. That is what he called himself at least. The bastard tried burning up all the scrolls, so now we keep them hidden in fear of someone else doing the same."

Jiro? Akeno was now more disturbed than ever. He felt slightly nauseous. There must have been an important reason for Jiro trying to destroy those books, and this gave the general more motivation to find out exactly what they were about. "I must read those books. Let me see what you have." Akeno said to the spirits.

"Uh," Sakko started, glancing about uneasily, "I don't think we can do that. We cannot risk those scrolls being damaged. As far as we know, they are the last books regarding the history of the Heroes."

Akeno widened his eyes in disbelief, "Then you must let me read them. I need to know about the subject."

"Why?" Makko inquired, curiously, "They are ancient history. Long has the last one died,"

"Actually I think you got that wrong, the last one disappeared. He did not die, though he very well should have," Sakko corrected.

"Urgh, I hate it when you interrupt. It's quite rude. Died, disappeared. Same difference."

"Gentlemen, please!" Akeno groaned, "King Silos sent me,"

"King Silos?" the two questioned in unison with endearing tones, "why he used to come here quite often back in his youth. We very much enjoyed his company..."

The two spirits then began to ponder. Makko scratched his chin, "I suppose we could let you glance through them, but we must keep an eye on you."

"Do you really think that is wise, brother," Sakko objected, " he could be lying."

"Do not worry, if he makes any attempt to harm the scrolls we could kill him, you see," Makko pointed out casually.

"Ah, yes I like that. It's quite easy for us isn't it? We simply point and-zap-dead. Ready to wander the underworld." the two laughed at the thought, but the general was growing impatient.

"Alright, enough of this morbid conversation. Have we come to an agreement?" Akeno pressed.

"I suppose," the two grinned, "but remember, we'll be watching you carefully. Now follow..."

* * *

Carmen's head throbbed with pain. She could feel herself beginning to regain consciousness, but wished she would just stay asleep for her body ached and her eyes still felt heavy. She wondered where on earth she was, but did not have the strength to find out. She tried recalling what exactly happened before she fell unconscious, but it was all a bit hazy. She knew that mysterious woman could not

have been human, but there was no way in telling what exactly it was. Perhaps it was all just a dream, Carmen thought, but then realized her body would not being hurting so much after such dreams. Was that woman trying to kill her? Did she work for Jiro? So many questions the rebel leader held. Carmen attempted to stir, and she managed to barely lift her eyelids.

"She's waking up!" she heard someone whisper, and then the shuffling of feet.

"How long has she been out?"

"Only 12 hours, roughly."

Carmen recognized Ken to be the last voice, but the one asking the questions... "Roran?" she mumbled, unsure.

"Yes, don't worry, I'm here," he replied.

"You...you ass," she managed to spit with as much rage as she could muster, "where the hell were you last night!"

"Carmen, take it easy," Ken tried saying.

"And Takuya, where is that fool?"

"Oh, I'm right here," the brunette answered, scooting his chair closer to her bed, "we were just out trying to find a missing child last night. Don't worry, we found him." Takuya lied, winking at Roran, who rolled his eyes.

"You idiots, let me know next time...ouch!" she moaned after trying to sit up.

"Please just rest, Carmen," Ken sighed, gently pushing her back down, placing a cool, wet rag over her head.

"Who did this to you, Carmen, I still do not quite understand. Ken tried explaining to me," Roran began, concerned, "but all I really could make out of the story was that the mysterious woman needed to see you. Did she speak? The others say she did not, but you were apparently answering her as if she were."

"She did speak," the rebel leader gaped, disturbed, "I heard her. And she did want me, yes. She told me I was chosen, but do not ask me for what, because I have no clue. That woman was annoyingly cryptic. What I do not remember is what happened after we spoke."

"It was a witch I tell ya," Ken huffed, folding his large arms over his chest, "she cast some sort of spell. She used magic! It was so bright we had to look away, but after the spell was cast, you were on the floor and she was gone. Just like that!"

During the little conversation, Carmen strangely found herself beginning to quickly regain her energy. Her muscles grew less sore, but instead they started to feel stronger. However, she still wished to be in peace. "Everyone, get out. I want my rest," she groaned, but turned to Roran, adding, "do not forget your mission today. And make sure you are back at a reasonable hour, please."

"Yes, ma'am," he answered, motioning for the others to follow him out of her room.

Takuya was the last one out, so her closed the door after him. Once they were outside, the rebel put his hands behind his head, trying to seem casual, but in fact he was very curious about what happened to Carmen. Strangely enough, he wondered if this mysterious woman was the same he had been hearing within his dreams. But the young man could hardly focus on the subject for more than a minute without thinking back to the girl he met at the ball. Izumi had been constantly on his mind since he first saw her. It was a bit frustrating to him, really, for he knew very well he would not see her again, not even tonight at the Council Meeting. This was the first time Takuya actually felt bitter about not being a nobleman, for perhaps if he had been born in to higher society he could have been with Izumi more. There was something strangely alluring about the young countess, and the rogue sensed that there was more at work for it than just her beauty. He had noticed he was not the only one entranced as she walked down the stairs. Practically every man had watched her move, had wished for her audience, and Izumi did not even realize it.

"Ello, chaps, how's the queen doing?" Davis asked nonchalantly before biting into a ripe, red apple.

"She'll be ok," Roran answered with a sigh, then turned to Takuya to see the young rebel lost in his thoughts. Waving a hand before his eyes, the grey-eyed man asked, "You there, Takuya? In need of sleep I see."

Snapping out of it, the brunette shook his head, saying, "I'm actually going to go for a walk. I'll be back shortly."

Roran glared at him uneasily, "Please do not do anything rash. I'm tired of having to watch your back!"

"You do not have to, Roran," Takuya replied, irritably, "I never asked you to,"

* * *

Meanwhile, the countess awoke the next morning in high spirits. She yawned happily, smiling in to her pillow. She was hoping to see the 'commander' again, after the wonderful time they had spent together. He had not left her mind, for she could not help but notice how very different he was. His manners were strangely improper and lax for someone of his position, but Izumi did not find the need to question them. Takuya had charmed her more than any man she had encountered.

"Izumi, are you up?" Saki's voice inquired, floating through the door, "We have a lot to do. Breakfast with the Minamotos is in twenty minutes! And I cannot seem to find your father anywhere."

"Alright mother, be right there," she sighed, rolling out of bed to dress. After getting herself ready, the countess left with her mother to the west tower, where there was a small dining room for private parties. While climbing a set of spiral stairs, Izumi glanced out the passing windows, which gave magnificent views of the city surround the castle. Ester was buzzing at its normal pace, but the day was bright and clear. The roads and buildings seemed to glisten as the sunlight shone down upon them.

"Beautiful," Izumi whispered to herself.

"Don't be silly dear," her mother scoffed, "the city is full of scoundrels. I particularly dislike Ester, for it is right across from the northern slums. Why they placed this castle near a society so improper is beyond me."

Izumi objected angrily, "Shouldn't a poorer society secure our compassion instead of disdain? What have they done to us?"

"Do not pretend to know what you're talking about, Izumi. You do not understand..." Saki trailed off, but her remark only enraged her daughter even further.

The two arrived at the dining hall and found the Minamotos already seated, awaiting their arrival. Junpei was also there, for he was, after all, the family's bodyguard. Already placed on the maple table was a variety of fruits and bread. A couple of maids were still setting up the goblets and bringing out the wine while the countesses took their seats. Izumi sat next to Kouichi, while her mother sat across from them next to Junpei.

"Sorry we are late, Kane," Saki apologized politely, "but I was waiting for my husband, and I was hoping he'd be here already."

"Do not worry about it," Kane smiled reassuringly, "he is a busy man. We will eat without him, and perhaps he will join us later."

The conversation was rather casual from then on. Being close family friend, they had this benefit. Eventually the subject if the ball came up, and Izumi seized the opportunity to query, "Kouichi, are you familiar with a Commander Takuya Kanbara?"

The knight shook his head, turning to his brother, "Kouji, do you know the name?"

The older brother looked up, dismally answering, "No. There is no commander by that name. Why do you ask?"

Izumi felt as if she had been slapped in the face. Surely he was wrong. "I met someone who introduced himself as so."

"He was an imposter," Kouji spoke indifferently, "I saw a few people I did not recognize at the party. And apparently there were reports of a couple of men sneaking in to the castle in disguise, for a guard and a butler were found unconscious on a deck down by the east wall. Their clothes were taken and the passage to the castle grounds were left open."

"Well, that proves that there needs to be more security," Saki remarked exasperated, "these street rats are always wishing to catch a glimpse of our lives. Naturally they want what we have."

The conversation then took a different turn, but Izumi was left reeling. Had she really been lied to, played? The countess soon felt nauseous and he appetite disappeared. Strangely, Izumi could feel her eyes beginning to water. "Excuse me, I do not feel well," she breathed, standing up.

"Indeed you look as white as a ghost, do you need me to walk you back to your room?" Junpei questioned, full of distress. Even Kouichi held concern on his handsome face.

"No, I'll be fine," she replies quickly, making her way out unsteadily, "I will see you all at lunch."

With that, she ran down the stairs trying to fight off her tears. Izumi did not understand why, but this situation hurt her deeply. She had hoped he was different...someone she could trust like Kouichi...but was he wasn't. He was a facade as well.

"I must leave this place," she whispered desperately, going to her room only to grab a hooded cloak, but she then started to look for a way out of the castle without drawing attention. The countess swiftly found herself at the stables, wondering how she could get past the castle gates without being questioned. Izumi spotted one of the stable boys preparing a horse to be attached to a carriage. She quickly asked, "Where is this carriage going?"

"Oh, I'm supposed to pick up some man in the town square," he replied.

"May I have a ride? I promise I will not cause any trouble," she pleads, glancing longingly at the carriage.

The stable boy seemed hesitant, "Are you sure you are allowed to go out there alone, Miss?"

"Yes, please, I…I have an important errand to run…For General Akeno," she lies, trying to keep her face from giving anything away.

After a moment of contemplating, the stable boy shrugged, "Whatever you say, Miss, just don't point at me if you get in trouble."

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, jumping in the carriage, hiding herself within it.

The stable boy hopped on himself, whipping the horses to begin moving. Without question the front gates of the castle opened to let the vehicle pass, for the guards already knew its destination and did not think anyone else would be riding inside. Izumi breathed with excitement. She was free.

* * *

"That's it?" Akeno questioned after being led in to a secret back room behind one of the bookshelves, only to find a small pile with two books, and three scrolls. "This is all you have on the Heroes of Old? This…this is nothing!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Now, now, be grateful," Makko tried reassuring, "this is of the utmost value. It has been a century and a half since the last Heroes were alive! And they did not end on a pleasant note, if I may add. Many bitterly destroyed various records of their existence, only scholars kept their information. This may not include the entire history of the Heroes, but this collection will tell you how they came about."

"Also, how they came to an end, I believe, though details are lacking," Sakko added while the two took a seat near the pile.

"You may begin your read. We'll be here," Makko grinned, taking out a book from a different shelf, beginning to read himself. Sakko did the same.

Akeno sighed, taking a seat as well. He reached for the first book, which was entitled _The Demigods. _He blew on the ragged cover, wiping away the dust before opening it up. The pages were old and yellow, while the some of the ink had faded, though it was still very readable. Flipping to the first page, he began:

_This book is dedicated to Kalin, Goddess of Peace._

_The History_

_Long ago, the earth was consumed by deadly wars and violence, which raged on the surface to no end. Men were in constant conflict for glory, gold, and power. This displeased most of the Gods, especially Kalin. At the time, there were only four realms of Kamora, the North, South, East, and West, and they were all ruled by kings, and kings alone. Tired of the never ending discords, Kalin created a Divine Council. She chose ten humans she deemed worthy and just to be a part of the council, and blessed them; gifting them with one of the ten elements making up the earth. These blessed humans became known as Demigods, or Heroes to the people. They spread out to ensure balance in different parts of the land, convincing kings that fighting would not bring them any of the wishes they desired. Kamora then found itself in a time of peace, and every century the firstborn descendant of the Heroes would rise up and take the place of their mother or father as part of the council. _

_The Elements_

_The ten elements are __fire, water, earth, wind, light, wood, steel, ice, thunder, and darkness. Each element holds a different power and special gifts. When they work together in harmony, as Kalin intended, to create perfect balance…. _

Akeno looked up. He was more perplexed than before, and hardly wished to continue reading. "I do not understand. Why would Silos wish for me to read about something that never really existed?" he questioned, crossly.

At this, Makko gasped. "How could you think such a thing!" he exclaimed, "The Heroes very much existed!"

"That's impossible," the general snorted, "they did not exist for the Gods did not exist. No one believes in the Gods anymore."

"Please, just, stop your nonsense!" Sakko exploded, completely shocked, "For a general you are exceedingly foolish! I cannot help but wonder what has become of the world. Even Silos believes in the Gods!"

Akeno fell silent. He could not help but question Silos' wisdom for a brief second, but then again, maybe his beliefs was the reason he was so…He decided to flip to the end of the book…

_The Fall of the Heroes_

_Eventually, Kalin's system for balance was shattered when one of her own Heroes grew hungry for power of his own. With new, unexplained power, the last Hero of Darkness killed off the other Heroes one by one, though he could not escape Kalin. She killed him out of anger, and after that the Heroes were no more._

"Do not believe everything in that last chapter," Makko interrupted, reading over Akeno's shoulder as he hovered there, "we are not sure how accurate it is, for there are many different versions concerning the end of the Demigods."

"Indeed," Sakko agreed, nodding, "we have heard many accounts. This book you read was written by King Brimnack about a century ago. He ruled Awai…However, something out of this we do not believe is Kalin killing the corrupt Hero. The Goddess of Peace has no reputation for murder, but she is known for casting spells. In one of these scrolls, it is said she cursed the Hero and he disappeared, dying of natural causes. And in another book it says she weakened the Hero causing the last Hero of Light, Kimuro, to kill him before he himself died from an inflicted wound."

"Yes, but some believe he did not die," Makko whispered with a small smile, "Some people like the old King Silos. I, myself, prefer to believe that oddly enough. It keeps things exciting, wouldn't you agree? Even though it would be slightly impossible…"

"Without help," Sakko smirked.

"Ah, yes, indeed."

Akeno groaned, rubbing the temples of his head. _This is ridiculous,_ he could not help but think. "Is there any information you have on their characteristics? Did they have rules to follow? An agenda to keep to?"

"Hm, this," Makko began, grabbing one of the scrolls, "might prove to be of value to your questions. It was indeed a strict life, but full of benefits."

The general took the scroll, carefully unrolling it, for it was stiff and cracked. With tired eyes, he began to read the paper:

_Responsibilities_

_It was a Hero's duty to dedicate him or herself to the people they governed. His or her devotion to the land he or she watched over should be undeniable._

_Heroes were allowed to marry, but not intermarry, for it could throw off the elemental balance seeing as the firstborn inherits the powers of his or her parent. However, a Hero's family life should not interfere with his or her duties. _

_Daily must a Hero pray to Kalin, asking for wisdom, and communicate with the other Heroes to ensure peace. If any major threat occurred, the Heroes would band together to dilute the predicament. _

_The Heroes should keep good relations with the kings, and not disregard his majesty's opinion. Though, establishing a new republic would soon be essential. _

_They must stay fair and resist temptation._

_Most importantly a Hero should not fear. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to sin. Sin leads to suffering…_

Akeno seemed quite intrigued by the last line. "Everyone fears," he sniffs, "it is a natural instinct."

"Well, it was supposed to be repressed," Makko remarked, "this scroll is said to be extremely old. Written by a Hero three centuries ago."

"Another theory about why the last Hero of Darkness became corrupt was because he feared something, however not even the stories know what," Sakko shrugged, "I know that if the Heroes would disobey any of these, their powers would be stripped and given to a new family. It happened more often then one would think."

"Then why did Kalin not strip the last Hero of his powers? Instead of just cursing him after he killed everyone else?" Akeno inquired, frustrated.

"The last Hero of Darkness was different..." Makko remarked rather gravely, "there was something larger at work in his quest for dominance. He had an unusual amount of power that was almost God-like. The story says he was tempted...and possibly assisted."

All of this made no sense to Akeno. He did not understand why Silos wished for him to learn about this subject in the first place. If the Heroes were long gone, then why did they still matter? More importantly, why did Jiro want to get rid of this information? "What was the last Hero's name?" the general inquired.

The brothers thought for a moment. It was Sakko, who answered, "Haishin. Quite the coincidence too…his name literally meant 'betrayer'."

Akeno sighed, closing the last scroll. "Do you know why Jiro wanted to destroy this information? It seems quite useless alone if you ask me," he grunted, standing back on to his feet.

Makko laughed, shaking his head with hilarity. "All information is useless when unbelieved. But faith is never useless."

* * *

_Chapter Summary:_

_Akeno decides to follow Silos' instructions and research the Heroes of Old. He meets Makko and Sakko who reluctantly show him the last pieces of information they have on the subject, but watch him carefully for are distressed that he might try and destroy them just like the last visitor, Jiro. In short, the Heroes were created by Kalin, Goddess of Peace, and there were always ten of them at a time, each gifted with one of the ten elements, f__ire, water, earth, wind, light, wood, steel, ice, thunder, and darkness. Akeno grows impatient however for he feels that this information is useless, and cannot imagine why Silos and Jiro deem it to be so important._

___Meanwhile, Takuya, Roran, and Davis arrive back at the Liberation in time to see Carmen waking up. She does not remember much, but everyone, especially Takuya, is intrigued about this mysterious woman. Izumi, in the meantime, realizes that Takuya was not who he said he was, for Kouji informs her that he know no commander by that name and that there was a security breach in the castle. Tired of being trapped in her facade, she decides to escape the castle._

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (even though we haven't met all of them):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sile-oh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Major Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
Capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation.


	7. A Faithless World

**_Shadowed Flame  
_****A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

Disclaimer: I do not own the series or the characters.

_A/N: Hello lovely readers :) Miss me ;) Well, I apologize for I was at camp! Yay Jesus! Ok, well I'm so excited! Things are picking up! I personally love this chapter, and hope you do too. Review and tell me what you think! Also review if you have any questions because now I should have some time to respond to your lovely messages unlike the past few weeks. Thank you so much for everyone who's reviewed so far! _

_Remember the reference and chapter summary at the bottom of the chap! Remember the chap summaries only cover the major details, but if you go purely on the summaries, you'll miss small details regarding relationships and whatnot, if you know what I mean. SO again, if any questions, review and I'll respond ASAP!_

_ENJOY :D_

* * *

_**Chapter 6:  
**__A Faithless World_

* * *

Izumi stepped out of the elegant, black carriage and on to the cobble stone grounds of Ester's town square. Instantly she was overwhelmed but ecstatic at the same time. "This place is busier than I could have ever imagined," she muttered in awe with a bright smile, and turning back to the stable boy, she waved, "Thank you!"

"Of course," he waved back before whipping the horses to move on.

The countess spun back around to face the active seen before her. Immediately, she became engrossed in it all, the merchants, the shops, and the people. Izumi found herself watching various street performers along with many others around. She was particularly impressed by a juggler, who seemed to be handling seven objects at once with ease. Izumi continued on her wandering, gasping at the sight of a beautiful, grey-stone structure decorated with stain glass windows. The countess has never seen anything of the sort, it appeared to her to be a miniature castle for it was of that gothic style. But the building, which was still, abandoned, and quiet, seemed completely out if place standing in the middle of this market.

"What you are looking out, my lady, is the Compass Cathedral," came a soft voice from behind her.

Izumi turned around to see a tiny old woman carrying a bag of produce. The stranger's face was solemn, her back was hunched due to the weight of time, and her hands trembled with age. "Oh," the countess responded graciously, "thank you. I have never seen such a structure. What is it used for?"

"Ah, well it _was_ used as a place of worship, where on could pray to the Gods, many years ago," she answered with a nostalgic voice.

"The Gods? Like the ones in the old myths?" Izumi inquired, amused.

"Yes..." the stranger sighed, a grimness now weighing upon her words, "long has the building ever been used. We live in a faithless world now, my dear. The people do not believe in the Gods, nor do the kings, thus the deities are loosing their power. Soon, they will no longer be able to help. Without faith, power is useless."

Izumi gave the woman an odd look. The more she listened, the more the countess began to realize that the old woman's voice did not match her age. It was powerful and strong, yet eerie. _Is she mad_? Izumi thought giving the stranger a small, uneasy smile before nodding, "Again, thank you, but I must now be off..."

The old woman kept her face straight and silent. She only stared after the countess in a spectral manner, unnerving the girl even further. Izumi found herself practically jogging away, but she did not pay attention to where she was going. She traveled, lost in her own thoughts. _What was that woman speaking of? She spoke as if these so called Gods were more than myths. _When the countess finally stopped to observe her surroundings, she realized she had no idea where she was. The market square was no where in sight! _How did I wander off so far?_ she groaned irritably to herself. Izumi then decided to just continue to traverse down the current street she was on, for perhaps she would find her way back to the town square, or at least be able to recognize something. As she walked farther down the road, she noticed that atmosphere beginning to change. Buildings seemed to grow older, more tattered, and litter and filth coated the sidewalks. Beggars and children wandered about in ragged clothes digging up the garbage for anything they could find. Izumi grew extremely ill at ease. This was not safe, nor was it longer Ester. Just as she was about to turn around and head back the other way, the countess heard a startling voice from behind her:

"Now, now, look what we have here," chuckled a tall, lanky man with black hair, and a black beard. He was accompanied by a shorter, heavier man who was dressed as he with bandanas, black tattered clothes, and gloves. Even Izumi could identify them as thieves of some sort. "Seems like we have a little mouse wandering about,"

"A pretty one at that," the short man smirked, "you're not from around here. We could…give you a tour if you'd like?"

Izumi gulped. She was petrified, no doubt, but tried not to show it. "No thank you, gentlemen, I was just leaving," she stated calmly, trying to turn and run, but the tall thief caught her by the arm.

"That wasn't really a question," he grinned darkly, eyeing her up and down, "we're giving you a tour anyway, and we always like something in return."

"I do not have any money with me!" she growled, struggling to free herself from his grip, but the thief only pulled her in closer. "Let me go, you bastard."

"You're a feisty one, aren't you? And forget money, my friend and I were thinking of something else anyway," he whispered wickedly in her ear.

"Please, let go of me," Izumi pleaded, now beginning to feel more terrified than ever.

Just as thieves were about to drag the countess away with them, a cloaked figure appeared out of nowhere from behind them. Within the next instant, the figure threw punches at both men, sending them to the floor. Izumi flinched at the scene, but then quickly ran behind her savior. "Are you all right?" inquired a deep, familiar voice, but before the countess was about to respond, the two were interrupted.

"What the hell!" the short thief growled, unsheathing a long dagger, pointing it at the hooded man standing tall before him.

The mysterious figure began evading the thief's oncoming attacks with ease, but when the other one joined in with his own dagger, the cloaked man began struggling. Izumi watched in utter horror, and wished desperately she could be of some assistance. The countess then spotted a metal bar within a pile of garbage on the side of the street and decided to go grab it. Meanwhile, the hooded figure unsheathed his own small blade, blocking the thieves' blows as best as he could. After evading an upward swing, the cloaked man was kicked square in the chest by the taller thief after failing to counter. His body was sent to the ground and the hood fell back off his face.

Izumi gaped to see it was none other than Takuya. Noticing the rebel was in trouble, the countess crept up behind the shorter thief, swinging her metal pole as hard as she could. Her weapon collided with the man's skull in a loud bang, knocking him out cold. Seeing the other thief distracted, Takuya swung his leg at the man's knees, tripping him up to the floor. The two began to brawl, exchanging punches while rolling about on the ground. The rebel grunted in pain caused by a hit to the nose. Blood spurted to the ground as the two continued, but finally, Takuya managed punch the man square in the jaw. The thief gave up, falling limp to the floor besides him.

Stumbling to his feet, Takuya, bruised and bloody, groaned. He glanced over at Izumi, whose face was still in shock. He was surprised she even spoke when she exclaimed, "You!"

Takuya blinked, still not quite in his right mind. "Yes, me," he slurred, rubbing his eyes, finally beginning to process what was going on. "Damn, I cannot believe it...he made me bleed..." the rebel mused to himself, bringing a hand up to his nose, which had begun to swell.

"What are you doing here?" Izumi continued, utterly confused.

Takuya only chuckled dryly, smiling through the pain, "Shouldn't I be asking you that? What the hell were you thinking wandering about alone?"

"I was perfectly fine," the countess snapped angrily, "besides , I asked you first! What are you doing here?"

Takuya sighed, knowing quite well there was no way to lie his way out of the current situation. "I live around here," he muttered, grabbing his dagger from the floor, then roughly taking her by the arm , "Come, it's not safe."

Izumi tried struggling, but his grip was like rock; unmovable. "Let go of me! I don't even know you," she growled, "How dare you lie to me last night!"

Takuya smirked, trying to hide his frustration with her, "Fine, I apologize. Is that better?"

"Absolutely not!" she snarled, "What gave you the right to simply waltz in to a private event, fooling me in to believing you were some one you are not! Why don't you simply tell me the truth, Sir Takuya, if that is your real name,"

"I didn't have a choice," Takuya flashed, now growing angry, "are you mad? I couldn't tell the truth. This is a stupid argument, my lady, and I'm done having it."

"Well I'm not," she groaned, but her temper began to subside as she realized how troubled the rebel appeared. Calming down, she unwilling relaxes in to his grip as Takuya continues to lead her down a narrow street. "I'm sorry," she whispers, "I just...I just thought you were different...different from the liars that encompass the castle, but you are liar yourself."

At this Takuya stopped. His grasp slipped off her arm and his face fell, eyes gazing at the ground. He ran a hand through his messy hair while searching his scattered brain for words. "The truth is..." he sighs, finally turning to face her with his nose still bloody and throbbing, "My name is Takuya Kanbara, I didn't lie about that, but clearly I am no commander. I live on the streets of the northern kingdom slums...working for an organization known as The Liberation. I went to the ball to see Jiro for myself, for he has been oppressing my friends and murdering their loved ones. That's the truth." He finished with clenched fists, breathing heavily, trying to hide how uneasy he felt about opening up in fear of her reaction...really, about opening up at all.

Izumi blinked. Her mouth opened as if she were about to respond, but nothing came out. _A rebel,_ she thought, trying to remember the very little she had heard about them. Indeed she overheard Kouji speaking of such organization to her father once. "Why did you speak to me then?" she inquired, honestly a bit disappointed by his brief explanation, "Why did you not simply do your job and leave me out of it?"

Takuya shook his head, shrugging, "I don't know." The rebel did not really feel like digging for an answer. He knew there was a reason as to why he wished to see her, but did not wish to uncover or enclose it. Takuya then looked up at her, meeting her startling, emerald gaze. He could see she was hurt and upset, but was unsure as to why this measly lie had affected her so deeply. Nonetheless, seeing her in this humor cut him.

Sighing, Izumi reached out, took the rebel's dagger, and cut a piece of her cloak off before Takuya had time to retort. She balled up the fabric, tying the ends together, and placed the cloth upon his bleeding nose. "You could have simply told me the truth," she said in the meanwhile, bringing his hand up to replace hers over the reddening fabric, "it was not as if I would have reported you, or whatnot."

At this Takuya chuckled, "Oh really? You would not have reported a supposed criminal, who crashed a party, to your authorities? In all certainty, if I had told you the truth, you would have not let me speak to you, or even be seen with you. You are royalty of some sort, are you not? You would not have given me the light of day."

Izumi glared at him, taking a step away, "Do not act as if you know me! Just because I am forced to be someone of high status does not mean I adopt the smug ways of the aristocrats. I would not have dared judge you. In fact, you probably would have charmed me even more if you had told me the truth."

"Charmed you even _more?"_ Takuya repeated, excited with a broad grin upon his face, "so I charmed you?"

Izumi paused, blushing a dark red. "I said no such thing!" she exclaims, shaking her head vigorously.

"But it was implied," he continued to smile, stepping closer to her, "so you think I'm charming?"

"Oh stop it," she snapped, crossing her arms in front of her chest. The countess then took off walking in the other direction, trying to hide the amused smile that began to appear on her red lips. And when Takuya began following her, she could not help but let out a small giggle. "Stop following me," she teased, still attempting to seem angry, but failing miserably.

"And let you be attacked again? I do not think so," Takuya smirked, keeping up with her, walking backwards to face her, "I suppose I must stay with you and keep you safe as we tour through the city."

"_We_?" Izumi scoffed, "I do not recall asking you to come with me,"

"Oh, I see," Takuya sighed, pretending to be all upset now, "you do not want to be seen with a street-rat. Understandable."

"Stop that, Takuya," she warns, casting him another glower. Stopping to think, Izumi glances around instinctively. "Fine," she smiles smally, "what is our first stop?"

* * *

Kouji walked through the vast halls of the castle, searching for his father. The Council Meeting was still about six hours away, so he wished to speak to his father concerning what questions they were going to ask Jiro. The young commander was very anxious to personally meet the king. Just as Kouji was about to enter his father's chambers, Saki Orimoto erupted from the room, seemingly in a hurry.

"Oh!" she exclaims, stunned to see him, but quickly recovers, "I apologize, Kouji, I know this seems quite improper, but I fear Izumi is missing. I have been looking everywhere for her."

Kouji merely nods his head, respectfully bowing at her presence. "I am sorry, my lady, but I have not seen her since breakfast. Perhaps she is with my brother and his knight, Junpei? They are good friends," he stated, trying to hide the slight concern in his tone.

"I already spoke with them, and they said they have not seen her," she sighed, placing an aggravated hand over her forehead, "That girl is trouble…also her father is no where to be seen!"

"I'll go look for her, personally," Kouji says before bowing to excuse himself.

"Thank you, Commander, you have always been so kind to Izumi," and with that, the countess leaves swiftly down the corridor, while Kouji takes off in the opposite direction. He planned on looking for his brother and Junpei first to find out where they had last seen her.

While he was walking, Kouji could not help but recall the times when he was younger. He and Izumi had once been very close; as close as she is now with his brother. However, as they grew older, his knightly duties kept him preoccupied and their friendship began to become more estranged. When Kouji was promoted to Commander at a record age of 16, he hardly saw any of his friends. He was happy, at the time, to give up anything to have such a position, but often ponders about 'what-could-have-been'. Kouichi grew close to Izumi in Kouji's absence, for the other twin had failed to be promoted or even a knight until he was 17.

Entering the main foyer, the commander caught sight of Junpei heading for the front door. "Junpei!" Kouji calls, "Have you seen Izumi?"

The knight turns and shakes his head, "No, I was actually going to go look for her. I asked around and there is rumor she left the castle walls,"

"What?" Kouji looked at him incredulously, causing Junpei to flinch with intimidation, "I'm going out to the city to look for her then. You keep looking around the castle grounds. Also where is my brother?"

"Finding General Orimoto. He has also been gone most of the afternoon, but he should still be somewhere in the building. No one has seen him leave," the knight answered.

"Very well, go on, I shall see you later tonight," Kouji nods smally before heading out the door to the stables in order to obtain a horse before going out in to the city.

Meanwhile, Kouichi had just finished seeing a woman by the name of Miss Randall, the daughter of a commander Walter Randall, and now aimlessly wandered about the halls of Brimnack with a casual step. It had been an hour since his father told him to search for the southern general, but the younger twin was never in any hurry. The handsome young knight always found something, or someone to occupy his time. While Kouichi traversed the halls, he unconsciously found himself in front of the library doors. With his arms resting behind his head, the young knight noticed that one of the doors was slightly ajar. "That is most curious," he muttered to himself, peeking his head through the door. "Hello?" Kouichi called, curiosity coating his movements as he stepped inside the dark, disarrayed room.

"Kouichi?" came a deep voice from his right, and out of nowhere appeared Akeno, face exhausted and drained, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hello sir!" the knight jumped, completely startled, "Looking for you, actually! My father's been asking for you since this afternoon. I assume he wishes to speak to you before the Council Meeting."

"Ah," answers the general, clearly occupied by different thoughts at the moment. "He shall have to wait, for I must find King Silos as soon as possible," Akeno sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly with frustration.

"Very well! Then I shall help you find him!" Kouichi grinned as he followed the general out the library. "By the way, sir, may I ask what you were doing in the old library?" the young knight asked, glancing back at the large set of double doors as the two walked away down the corridor.

"You may ask," Akeno responded gruffly, "But I may choose not to answer. My motives turned out to be uninteresting anyhow. Many would mock me for wasting my time reading such ridiculous information."

"I wouldn't dare, sir," Kouichi smiled with amusement, "but I must admit you have made me most curious."

Akeno chuckled, "Perhaps one day shall tell you, but only if you keep it a secret as to where I was."

"Very well," Kouichi replied, though he had no idea as to why the general wished to keep his past whereabouts hidden. However, the knight merely shrugged the question off and followed the southern general. They travelled all the way to the other side of the castle, heading to King Silos' chambers. The two reached his door, which was guarded by two other soldiers.

"Please tell King Silos that I wish to speak to him," Akeno ordered, and immediately one of the guards nodded, going in to the room to inform his majesty.

* * *

Junpei had searched for Izumi seemingly everywhere within the castle walls. He found himself wandering the gardens indecisively, looking for anyone he could now. Tired, however, the knight took a seat on one of the benches when out of nowhere came a hooded woman, startling Junpei half to death. He jumped out of his seat, exclaiming, "Excuse me, uh, miss?"

She chuckled lowly with amusement, but kept her face low so that he could not see it. "Junpei. You have been chosen," she said.

"Um…ok...wonderful?" he stammered, uneasily, "I apologize, who are you?"

"You shall know soon. I am afraid I do not have time to explain now, for I have other business to attend to," she sighed, quickly glancing up at the knight, entrancing him with her pupiless, glowing eyes. Tattoos, which marked her face, began to illuminate and she continued, "beware of the night, for the tides are changing. I must do this quickly. Junpei, heir of Thunder. Tá tú bheannaigh!"

* * *

Kouji rode in to the town square scanning the area for any sign of the countess. She was no where near. However, when he asked about her, describing her features, many recalled seeing someone of her nature go off beyond the market square in to northern kingdom territory. This unnerved the commander, but nonetheless, he kicked his horse in to a trot and steered the animal down a narrow alley way past the cathedral. While Kouji rode, he noticed a dark figure standing oddly still in the corner at the end of the street. As he grew closer, the commander grew even more suspicious upon seeing that the person wore a hooded cloak, with her features hidden behind the shadows. Instinctively clutching his sword, Kouji continued, trying appear as casual as he could.

But suddenly, once the horse came to the end of the alley, the hooded figure stepped in front of the animal, stopping it in its tracks with just the lift of her hand. Immediately, Kouji drew his blade, pointing it at her chin. "Who are you and what do you want?" he breathed, nostrils flaring with irritation. He was not in the mood for this business, and held a sickening feeling within his stomach that this woman knew who he was looking for.

"She is safe…for now," the woman replied with a tired voice as if reading his thoughts, "However, my business is with you, at the moment, Kouji Minamoto. I will visit Izumi later after other visits have been made."

Her words did nothing to calm the young commander. In his frustration, he gripped his sword so firmly that the veins began popping out of his muscles. "Where is she," he growled, "if you've taken her, I swear I will plunge this sword in to your throat!"

"There is no need for such talk," the woman raised her voice. Still trying to calm him, she spoke, "You cannot harm me, Kouji, and I think you know this. Now, I have not taken Izumi. I watched over her as she found her way in to a safe presence. You must understand, however, that my time with you is short."

Kouji hesitated. Clenching his jaw, he simply stared at her in a mixture of anger and confusion. Finally, he muttered lowly, sword still in front of her face, "Then what do you want with me? How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"You shall understand much sooner than you think," the woman began, glancing upward at him revealing her glowing eyes and tattooed face. Kouji had to shield his gaze, for her light was too bright. The horse began to grow restless as well, kicking and sneezing. "Kouji, heir of Light, you have been chosen. Tá tú bheannaigh!" the hooded woman exclaimed, knocking the commander off his horse with a powerful energy erupting from her palm. Kouji slammed into the wall of a nearby building, knocking him out cold. As the woman's light ceased to emit, the horse settled, and she sent the animal to trot to the commander's side. "Wait for him to awake," she told the stallion, "and then lead him to what he seeks."

* * *

Takuya had led Izumi all around the Ester's town square, showing her the various stalls, stores, and some other sights around the city. The two also watched a bit of the small children's parade, which took place in honor of the kingly gatherings. The school students paid their respects by marching around, dressed as knights, aristocrats, or generals, all holding up banners representing the various kingdoms. It was a small, but jovial event, which Izumi enjoyed thoroughly. A few hours past mid-day, Takuya helped Izumi as the two climbed up a nearby building in order to sit on the roof and admire the beautiful city view with castle Brimnack standing regally in the heart of it all.

"This was my first time walking on the city streets," Izumi smiles brightly scanning the roads, observing the people walking to and fro, "I loved it. I cannot see why my father does not let me out of the castle at all! Not even in my hometown."

"Um, Izumi, you forget that you were almost killed this morning," Takuya chuckles slightly, amused by her admiration for the life outside of a castle, "I must say that I understand your father's concerns. You should not go out a lone."

The countess merely rolled her eyes, but laughed as well, "Yes, alright, I do suppose it was not completely wise of me to wander off in to a dark alley by myself…but I do not see the harm in me going out with a guard or two! My father will not even let me do that." She sighed, pushing her hood back off her head as she continued shyly, "But I must thank you, Takuya, for your protection. You saved my life."

Takuya only smiled, watching her intently as she continued to stare out in to the horizon. After a moment or two, he responded, "It was the least I could do after lying to you."

Izumi then turns to face him, with an unsettled visage upon her face, for she had almost forgot that this man was not who she had first come to think he was. The countess soon became curious to uncover who Takuya really is. "How long have you worked for the, uh, Liberation, is it?" she asked, slightly catching him off guard by the change of subject.

After thinking about it, he answered, "About five years, I believe. That was when one of the leaders found me. I was living on the streets anyway, so I had not anything to lose by joining their team."

Izumi glanced at him with concern, "But what about your parents?"

"I never knew them," he shrugged, "my mother died shortly after giving birth to me, and I have no idea what became of my father. I grew up in an orphanage in the northern capital, Bethel. However, I, uh, quickly learned I did not quite fit in with the others so I ran away when I was about 13." Takuya nervously began playing with the edges of his bloodied bandage, while waiting for her to respond. A man with no name in society was hardly considered a man at all to people of her status.

The countess was not scandalized, however. Nor was she embarrassed to be with him, because the truth is, for some odd reason, she felt exceedingly comfortable with him. So comfortable that it unsettled her if she thought about it. Izumi moved his hand away from his wound while giving him a small smile. "I'm sorry," she says, "I can not imagine not knowing my parents…and not even having a family."

"The rebels are my family now," Takuya grinned reassuringly, "and I'm very lucky to have them…what I am confused about, is you. Izumi, you must know how lucky you are to have what you do. So many would do anything to be in your position!"

Izumi's face fell. She sighed simply thinking about the secret monotony of her days, but answered, "It is not as splendid as one may think…yes, I do know I am extremely fortunate to have the, um, security I do, but…you wouldn't understand…Everyday, I'm thrusted in to a world of facades, smug aristocrats, most of which do not care about anyone but themselves. It is exhausting to play along. In my world, it is not really how you help the people, but how you look, act, talk, walk, or behave. It's all about who is speaking to who, or who is getting engaged, who is the wealthiest, and the parties are absolutely horrid. Everyone is watching your every move. I always feel like I am suffocating! Trapped in a world I failed to keep up with and it terrifies me to think that I am the only one who senses all these things." She paused, looking back of Ester, "And I am not allowed to leave that world unless I escape. Everyday is the same and all my choices are made for me. I have no voice."

Takuya listened to everything she had to say. When she finished, he could not help but stare at her with a mixture of wonder and uncertainty. Izumi noticed the rebel simply gazing at her without a word, causing her to grow self-conscious. "What is it?" she asked, blushing.

"Nothing, you are just…very different," he breathed, smiling smally at her.

"Well, I hope that's a good thing," Izumi remarked, uneasily.

"Believe me when I say it is," Takuya beamed, chuckling as she flushed.

The sun continued its trek through the sky as the hour passed, and soon the two realized that they should get going, seeing as Izumi did not want to worry her family and Takuya knew he had mission to complete, though he wished he had more time to spend with the countess. Something about her captivated him. Never had he been so fascinated by a woman, or anyone for that matter. Takuya had travelled to many places, and seen his fair share of beautiful women, but to him, Izumi seemed to surpass them all.

He helped her down the ladder leading from the roof, and on to the street. Izumi looked at him and smiled as she took his hand in order to safely step off the last step. Something about his touch sent a shiver down her spine. His touch was so warm, burning underneath her skin. It was inexplicably disturbing how he seemed to be effecting her. Izumi felt her heart were running up her throat as if to come out and see for itself what was causing her erratic behavior.

"Thank you," the countess managed to breathe, glancing up to his soft gaze, which was meeting hers. _Why did he seem so familiar?_ She thought all of a sudden, trying to remember where she had seen those dark, chocolate eyes before.

Takuya was about to say something, when suddenly another voice cut through the air between them. "There you are!" Davis exclaimed happily at Takuya, jogging up to him with Roran close behind. Panting, the brunette continued, "You know we have somewhere to be soon and-," he stopped after noticing Izumi standing there with wide, surprised eyes at the sudden interruption, "and who is this lovely creature?" Davis beamed at Izumi while taking her hand, kissing it as he bowed slightly.

Takuya rocked in his boots with concealed irritation, and quickly came between the two once Davis finished greeting her. "No one, she's no one," the rebel shrugged, trying to hide her with his tall frame.

Izumi furrowed her eyebrows and let her mouth hang open in surprise at Takuya's odd reaction, "Excuse me? Takuya, who are these people?"

Roran scoffed as Takuya's face fell with slight worry. Davis, however, bowed again, saying, "My name is Davis Motomiya, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss…"

"Izumi Orimoto," the gold haired girl responded with a small smile at Davis' friendliness before Takuya could stop her.

"The countess?" Roran inquired shocked, his eyes looking from Takuya to Izumi, "Takuya, what the hell are you doing with the countess."

Takuya sighed, raking a hand through his messy auburn hair before responding lowly, "She was in trouble. I-,"

"We met at the ball," Izumi interrupted, stepping out from behind him with a smug smile on her rose, red lips, infuriating Takuya even further, "and today he saved my life. After that, I asked for a tour of the city, seeing as I have never been here before."

"You spoke to her at the ball?" Roran growled, fists clenched, "And now you are parading her around, not caring who sees you? There has to be someone looking for her, no countess wanders about the city alone!"

"Actually-," Izumi was about to explain, but Takuya stopped her.

"I've been trying to get away from her all day, but she ceases to leave me be," the rebel explained quickly, smirking, causing Izumi to inhale sharply with rage, "I was just on my way to drop her off at the castle again and find you."

Roran then turned to the countess, snapping at her with unnecessary ferocity, "Look, Miss, we are very beneath you so there is nothing you could possibly want with us. Now run along home to your father before you get in to some real trouble."

"That's perfectly all right," Izumi snarled back at him, utterly livid, "And do not trouble yourself with escorting me, Takuya, I am completely capable of finding my own way."

At this, Takuya glanced up at her worried. He tried to appear casual, but inside he was panicking. _Did I do something wrong?_ He questioned himself and his words, shaking his head now frustrated with himself. Izumi was storming off, but he quickly followed her, explaining, "Izumi, I apologize, but…but if these men find that I have…um, protective tendencies over you…I'll…I'll never hear the end of it!"

Izumi scoffed, "You are such an arrogant liar, Takuya, and I wish for you to leave me alone. Who were those men, anyway, some of your rebel friends?"

"No-I mean-yes! Izumi, please wait!" Takuya groaned, exasperated. Why did this woman test him so much? He just met her and she could drive him up the wall. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said and Roran should not have been such an ass, you have a right to be mad. But I cannot keep upsetting them the way I have. I am losing their trust."

Izumi paused, glaring up at him carefully. "Maybe if you actually told them the truth instead of trying to lie to them, they would have no reason to distrust what you say," she huffed, "_You _followed _me._ And what did you mean by 'protective tendencies'?"

Takuya merely rolled his eyes, then glanced back to see Davis and Roran bickering about something. He was about to respond when all of a sudden, the four heard a horse gallop in to the alley. Kouji rode tall and alert, and upon seeing Izumi, he drew his sword, shouting at Takuya, "Halt, rebel scum!"

Takuya sighed, "Please, at least be more creative with the names."

Roran cursed upon seeing the commander, "Dammit, Takuya, now look at what you've done!"

"Kouji, stop!" Izumi shouted, putting herself in between Takuya and Kouji's blade, "There's no need to harm him. He saved my life."

"Then I'm sure he wants something in return," the commander scowled, "move aside, Izumi."

"You know this ass, Izumi?" Takuya inquired arrogantly, glowering with rage at the man on top of the stallion.

"Takuya, please, shut up!" the countess snarled, then turned back to Kouji, "I'll go with you, just please let these men be,"

"Honestly, Commander, we mean no harm," Davis explained, walking up to the scene with an irate Roran.

Exhausted and vexed, Kouji reluctantly sheathed his sword upon Izumi's word. He then reached out his hand for her to take hold of, "Come then, we must be off. Your mother is worried."

Before Izumi could move, Takuya objected, "Are you really going to go with this man?"

"Why wouldn't she, street rat?" Kouji seethed, "I've come to protect her."

"Good job," Takuya scoffed.

Boiling, Kouji jumped off his horse and fumed towards Takuya right before punching him square in the jaw. The rebel fell to the ground, stunned, but before anyone else could react, he jumped right back up and tackled the commander to the floor. The two continued to brawl much to Izumi's horror.

"Seriously?" Davis groaned, trying to break the two up, but his attempts were in vain.

Kouji had Takuya pinned to the ground, causing the rebel to grunt in pain as the weight of the commander's armor pushed him harder against the stone floor. Struggling, Takuya grabbed on to Kouji's gauntlets. Soon, the armor turned red as it started to cook the commander's hands inside. Howling, the commander jumped up, attempting to shake off the heat. "What the hell was that?" he snarled, ripping off the gauntlets, throwing them to the floor. He was about to attack Takuya once more, but Izumi stepped in front of him, placing her hands on Kouji's chest to bring him to a halt.

"Stop it! Both of you!" she shouted, trying to manage the situation, "You are both acting foolish. Come, I'll go with you Kouji, just leave them alone."

She glanced back at Takuya, who was staring up at her, blood running down his lip, miffed. He grunted as he stood up, but just as another group of horse galloped their way in to the alley. The rebel simply rolled his eyes while patting the dust off his pants. Roran shook his head in disapproval with furrowed brows, but suddenly his eyes went wide as he recognized the leader of this group being the burly, dark-haired man who was in Jiro at the ball. Seeing him now up close, Roran noted the sheer size of this brute. His muscles seemed to bulge out of his armor and veins popped out of his neck as if he seemed to be taking in huge amounts of air with every breath. Roran then glanced at Kouji to see that the commander was just as confused by this intrusion. What were a band of Jiro's knights doing here in Ester? Someone so close to Jiro would not waste his time tracking down three rebels. Izumi seemed more annoyed than anything, while Davis looked worried.

It was the tall, muscular man who finally broke the awkward silence with a deep, booming voice, "I apologize for intruding on you commander, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Makoto Kentaro, General of the Kalin under Jiro."

At this, the rebels inhaled sharply with surprise. They exchanged weary expressions before looking to the commander, who responded, trying carefully to conceal his gauzy alarm, "Um, you did not intrude on anything, I can assure. But, I must inquire as to why you are here. Does your king wish to see me?" Kouji seemed particularly interested in meeting Jiro, and hoped for a positive reply to his query.

Makoto shook his head, "No." The large man then dismounted his horse and walked over to Takuya, who stood still, completely perplexed. "Are you Takuya Kanbara?" the general inquired, harmlessly enough.

Takuya glanced over to Roran and Davis before nodding, "Yes, I am."

Makoto then smirked wickedly and before the rebel could escape, the general snapped an iron chain around his wrists, "Sir Kanbara, you are under arrest for treachery against the Kingdom of Kalin."

"What?" Roran roared, "this is ridiculous!"

"Silence! Or I'll arrest you as well," Makoto sneered before tying Takuya to the end of his horse.

"Wait!" Izumi gasped, "Stop! You can't arrest him. I won't let you, in the name of my father!"

The general sighed, shaking his head, "I apologize Countess, normally I would let a prisoner free with your word, but my orders come directly from Jiro. He sent me to arrest this man personally."

"That doesn't make sense," Davis interjected then muttered lowly to Roran, "Why would the king want only Takuya arrested…this has nothing to do with the rebellion or we would have been arrested too!"

Izumi watched, horrified as Makoto mounted his horse and began trotting off with the rest of his knights, Takuya being pulled behind them. She turned to Kouji, desperate, "there must be something we can do?"

The commander simply shook his head, "There is not. But why defy the king for a street rat?"

And with that, he helped Izumi mount his horse before getting on himself. The two galloped off.

* * *

_Chapter Summary:_

_Long story short, Izumi goes out and about the town only to find herself wandering too far up north in to the slums. She gets in trouble with a couple of men, but is rescued by Takuya. After bickering about his dishonesty, the two make up with some usual flirting and Takuya insists he takes her around the town for a tour. She accepts and the two find themselves more drawn to each other than ever before. _

_Meanwhile, everyone in the castle is looking for Izumi. Kouji, after hearing a rumor that she left the castle walls, takes off to the town square, while Junpei is ordered to continue searching the castle grounds. During his search, Junpei encounters that same mysterious woman who approached Carmen. She then goes on to say how she's chosen and knocks him out. The same woman appears to Kouji as he searches for Izumi in town, claiming that he is chosen as well._

_After their evening winds down, Takuya is just about to escort Izumi back to her castle when Roran and Davis find them. Davis immediately grows infatuated with her, while Roran is shocked to learn she is the countess, scolding Takuya for even being with her. Suddenly, Kouji finds them. Takuya and the commander immediately get in a little spat which is then interrupted by Makoto, Jiro's General, who requests for Takuya's audience. He then arrests the rebel for treachery. Izumi attempts to stop him in her father's name, but Makoto informs that her order is invalid, for Jiro had personally sent Makoto to arrest Takuya and only Takuya. THis puzzles everyone greatly, but there is nothing they can do._

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (even though we haven't met all of them):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Major Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation.


	8. Shin

**_Shadowed Flame  
_****A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

Disclaimer: I do not own the series or some of the characters.

_A/N: So I just finished working on chapter 10 and oh my gosh...it's getting complex. SO MANY TWISTS. I can't wait for it all to hit you guys :D But see, this is the tricky part for me as an author, because I want to hint at the secrets so they make sense when revealed, but at the same time I can't give too much away because that's no fun..._

_ALSO: this is really important...if you think you've realized one of the many secrets embedded in this story DO NOT REVIEW ABOUT IT...you could seriously spoil it for other readers. It's like coming out of the movies after seeing Star Wars and shouting, "VADER IS LUKE'S FATHER! OMG!" and then some people in line waiting to see the movie flick you off because you've ruined it for them...not cool._

_BUT: You can totally PM me and brag about what you've discovered. I'll applaud you for your genius :)_

_One more note: Please review and tell me what you all think! They encourage me so much! Also if you have any question, send those in the form of a review as well, because I'm going to start answering them on the following chapter, because some people might have the same question. Alright! COOL :)_

_JK one last thing: the Takumi will return soon! It might be a bit bare this chapter but do not fret! There will be PLENTY to come ;)_

* * *

_**Chapter 7:  
**__Shin_

* * *

Carmen sat awake and alert, drumming her fingers along her desk. She stared blankly down at a map of Kamora, but found that she could not focus on the task at hand…

_You have been chosen…_

The words rang through her mind like a low bell. She still did not know what that woman meant…nor did she want to. However, the woman's voice still haunted her…

_Why should I say who I am…_

"Stop it!" Carmen growled, trying her hardest to focus on the map. Nearby was glass of water she had asked for a while ago, still unsipped. Strangely enough, she found that she could not take her eyes off the liquid, as it sat there unmoving. Keeping her glare on it for another minute, the rebel leader instinctively lifted a hand in its direction.

A small ripple erupted.

Startled, Carmen retracted her hand, glancing about to see what could have shaken the water. Nothing. Everything was quiet. Looking back at the glass, she extended her hand again. After concentrating on the liquid with more intensity, she began to lift her hand.

The water followed.

It rose from the glass, suspended in midair as she focused. Carmen froze, stunned. _This is impossible,_ she thought, _I must be dreaming_. Still, she continued manipulating the water, moving her arm left to right, watching in awe at the liquid trailed her command.

Suddenly, Ken burst through the door, causing her attention to immediately divert to him. The water followed, splashing all over the rebel, soaking his face. The action was abrupt that he did not even see what exactly happened. Blinking, Ken glanced at her with surprise, saying, "Sorry if I interrupted you, my lady, but Roran and Davis are frantic to see you."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't…yes send them in," she stammered, practically blushing while attempting to establish what just occurred.

Ken nodded, leaving. But Roran and Davis burst through the door within the next minute, panting. It was Roran, who began quickly, "Carmen, Takuya's been arrested!"

The words hit her like bricks. "What?" she gasped, already trying to calm her ever rising temper, "By who?"

"Makoto, Jiro's general," Davis replied, brows furrowed in frustration, "Jiro personally asked for Takuya's arrest. It just does not make any sense. Even the countess' word could not free him!"

"The countess?" Carmen queried, utterly lost, "What the hell was the countess doing in this mess?"

Before Roran could stop him, Davis answered, "We found her with Takuya. Apparently they had met at the ball."

"THE BALL?" Carmen roared, "He went to the ball!"

Roran smack his forehead, knowing full well that they had already set her off. Trying to stay calm, he began, "Yes, but nothing happened. We went in to get him ourselves before he did anything stupid. But that is besides the point and a story for another time. What is urgent is that Takuya has been taken to the prison in Ester castle."

"And he can stay there for all I care," she spat, "he's nothing but trouble, no matter how talented he may be."

"Carmen," Davis groaned, "he's like our brother, you cannot possibly mean that! We need him. There has to be something we can do. We cannot just let him die."

Inhaling deeply to settle down, the rebel leader rubbed her temples with indignation. Her blue eyes then opened again, glancing at the two men. "Well, I suppose you can attempt to break him out. The Council Meeting is tonight, and I already had plans to sneak two of you in. Since Takuya is clearly incapable of performing such a task, you shall go in his place, Davis. You must go to the meeting first, however, for we need those documents Makoto is going to have with him. After that, do what you can to free Takuya, but be careful. Do not underestimate these knights.."

The two rebels nodded and were quickly on their way.

* * *

Akeno, Silos, and Kouichi had spoken about various subjects throughout the course of the afternoon, but soon enough, the old king brought up the subject of the Heroes; surprising Akeno, and he glanced at Kouichi uneasily as if he were uncertain the young knight should even be listening. However, when Silos made no gesture to send him, the general began, "Well, I do not see why you had me read about beings that were mythical. What is the use of learning about them, exactly?"

Silos merely sighed, scratching his white beard in contemplation. After a moment, he said, "General, I think we should take a trip to Lightwell…there you shall find evidence of all sorts of creatures and being you did not think existed. The elves hold records and artifacts of them all."

"Lightwell? The Elven kingdom?" Kouichi exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up with surprise and intrigue, "Men still travel there? I thought they try and keep to themselves."

"From time to time humans still visit them," the king grunted, "but it is true that men go now less frequently. In the past, the need for alliances brought the two races together, but such pact has long been needed."

"I do not think I can go," Akeno sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "I made plans to visit Kane…and I promised my daughter…"

Suddenly, Junpei appeared at the door, three other guards with him. They were all panting, out of breath from running through the halls. With the king's permission, the four poured in to the room breathlessly. Junpei spoke very quickly, and excitedly, "Kouji's returned with Izumi, but she needs to speak her father immediately she says."

Instantly, Akeno stands to his feet, but turns to Silos for permission to leave his company. The old king also stands, chuckling, "I shall go with you, I am in need of a some exercise before the Council Meeting."

The group left hurriedly out to the foyer where Izumi and Kouji were coming down the stairs after entering the palace. Izumi looked frantic. Her green eyes brighter than ever as they held back the tears which threatened to spill. Upon seeing her father, she ran to him, embracing his neck, "Father! King Jiro's imprisoned him!"

Akeno glanced at her wildly, "Who?"

"A man-Takuya Kanbara-he saved my life, he does not deserve to be sent to the dungeon," she expressed, attempting to calm her short jagged breaths, which came to her in uncontrollable spurts.

"He's a rebel, General," Kouji cut in indifferently, vexed at how the countess was reacting, "Jiro has a right to imprison his rebels, they are constantly breaking the law."

"True, but why bring him here?" Silos inquired very curious, "and are you not the countess, child? Your word should have set him free for the time being."

"Yes, but a general named Makoto said that he could not, for his orders were specific and from King Jiro himself," she explained rapidly, looking to her speechless father, "Can you not do anything?"

Akeno turned to Kouji for an affirmation to his daughter's story. The commander nodded, adding, "Indeed the King of the north requested that particular rebel to be imprisoned…There were two others at the scene with us, but the general dismissed them, for he only wanted that one. I figured he might be some sort of leader…But to my understanding, they have brought the man here."

"But why bring him here?" Kouichi pondered aloud, scratching his scalp, "And now of all times? The king must very much wish to speak to this rebel, or else he would have sent him to one of the prisons in his kingdom to await trial there, correct?"

"Blast, this is odd," Silos cursed under his breath, "I must see this man, I wonder who he is. Child, what did you say his name was again?"

"Takuya Kanbara," Izumi croaked, not fond of how bleak the scene had turned, for now the old, wise king seemed as distressed as she. "So is there nothing we can do?"

"For now, unfortunately no," Akeno alleged with regretful eyes, "But I'm sure no harm will come to him…"

Izumi could not fathom the situation. She could not help but gasp at how much she did not wish for Takuya to be hurt. He had saved her life. The countess felt as if she were bound to him now somehow. Already, and probably foolishly, she trusted him as much as she did her close friends. She would not let him suffer, even if she had to break him out herself.

"Do not worry, Izumi," Kouichi whispered to her while the others continued to argue upon a course of action, "I have this strange feeling it's all going to work out…"

Oh, how she loved him at the moment, even if he were simply saying those words only to make her feel at ease. Truly, Kouichi would never let her feel alone. Nodding, she smiles smally, "Thank you, Kouichi."

* * *

_A young man walked briskly through a white gate, surrounding what seemed to be a small cottage standing lone on top of a hill. Snow-capped mountains stretched far in the scenery behind the structure, but various flowers of all colors sat pleasantly within the grass_ _nearby. The young man's face was bright; he looked utterly jovial as he practically ran to the cottage. His dark eyes gleamed upon him entering the door._

_Takuya was surprised to see him. The man did not quite fit the scene at hand. He was tall, rugged, and clothed in battered armor. He appeared as if he had suddenly stepped off a battlefield and in to this new tranquil, remote estate. The rebel found it difficult to make out the man's distinctive features, but those eyes were as dark as night but warm, and they seemed to bear right in to him. Startled, Takuya wondered who the man was and why he was gazing at him so happily, but before he could speak, he heard another voice behind him. _

"_Shin? Oh, thank the Gods!" called a woman with utter glee as she ran through Takuya's hollow frame and in to the arms of this man referred to as Shin. The two embraced happily, and the knight pulled his woman in to a passionate kiss. _

So they cannot see me,_ Takuya wondered, astonished. Shin glanced down at his dark brown haired beauty, and brushed the hair out of her deep cerulean eyes whispering his love for her. "How I have missed you, Hikari," Shin breathed into her lips._

"_I have missed you too…and the others? Are they alright?" she inquired, concern etched upon her features. _

_Shin glanced down at the floor, shifting uneasily on his feet. Takuya sees the man's eyes had turned pitch black for a brief moment, but then completely return to a normal brown. _What is all this?_ The rebel thought, utterly confused. _

"_Another has been lost…and Kimuro is missing," Shin's gaze grows somber as his (Takuya assumes) wife's eyes begin to fill with tears._

"_And where is Kalin? What has she to say?" Hikari implores for an answer, clearly distressed. _

_Shin is reluctant to respond. Clearing his throat, he mutters, "I do not know where she is." Glancing downward once more, the man lifts a hand, placing it on Hikari's stomach. "Are you…?"_

"_I am with child, Shin," she breathes, trying to smile through her tears, but fear is evident in her eyes._

_At first, Shin is stunned. For a moment he does not respond, but suddenly his mouth breaks in to a huge smile. Beaming, he pulls Hikari close to him once more, kissing her, saying, "In a time so dark, I did not know there could be so much light. I couldn't be happier." _

"_Kalin will protect us," the woman sighs, relief pouring out of her like water from a fountain, "I know she will, Shin. She has always protected us."_

_Hikari could not see Shin's response to this, for her eyes were tightly shut and her head rested upon his chest. But Takuya watched as the man's eyes turned black and regretful at her words. Suddenly, Shin's glare shot up, aiming directly at the rebel and-_

* * *

Takuya awoke to darkness. Gasping, he began to blink as his eyes adjusted to the dark, dank cell he was now imprisoned in. His head throbbed due to a fresh new bump rising in the back of his head. Makoto had knocked him unconscious. The rebel meant to place a hand over the wound, but found that his wrists were chained to the wall. It was then that he realized he might be in serious danger. A wave of worry washed over him, and he winced at the ground, confused. _What is going on? _He thought, cursing, _Where the hell have they taken me?_

Suddenly, he heard footsteps clinking towards him, echoing off the stone walls. It was a number of men, the rebel assumed, hearing the rattle of keys and swords as the steps drew near. His cell door opened, and Takuya grimaced at the sudden flood of light. The room was then illuminated by the dim orange glow of the torches carried in by the guards. When Takuya glanced up, his eyes flashed as they reflected the firelight. He then watched as Makoto walked in with another shadowed figure. It was not until they drew closer to him that Takuya recognized Jiro, who's expression seemed rather light for the situation. His lips were pulled in to an amused smirk, while Makoto's mouth curved downward in annoyance. "Finally, you are awake," Jiro beamed, as he pulled up a wooden chair from the corner of the cell, "I am sorry that my imbecile of a general put you out for so long. I've been quite eager to speak with you."

Takuya's eyes narrowed dangerously at the young king. "What the hell do you want?" the rebel spat, and was quickly cut off as Makoto heaved a giant fist right towards Takuya's stomach. The impact sent Takuya reeling. He slumped in his chains as his legs gave out from the pain and nausea.

The burly general ferociously took up a fistful of the rebels hair, pulling Takuya's head back up. "Speak like that again to the king, I dare you," Makoto hissed.

Jiro continued to smirk, watching Takuya closely. "Tell me," he began, "Who is your father, Mr. Kanbara?"

The rebel didn't answer. He still felt as if he were going to vomit any second. Makoto punched him again, this time in the jaw. Takuya coughed as blood began to erupt from his lips and mouth. "I don't know," the rebel managed to grunt. He tried pulling himself back up on to his feet, but he found that his legs were still useless and numb.

"You don't know?" the king ingeminated questioningly, but his black eyes kept their resigned demeanor as he advanced with the interrogation, "You're mother? Did you know your mother?"

"She's dead," Takuya growled, managing to cast a glower towards Jiro. The rebel then wiped his head against his shoulder, in attempt to remove his damp hair, wet from sweat, away from his dark eyes, which burned with rage and fury.

"That is most unfortunate," Jiro muttered listlessly, clearing not satisfied with what he has discovered so far. He raked his hand through his dark brown hair with a cool sigh while sinking back comfortably in to his chair. "Takuya I know who you are…and I cannot say that I am pleased you and your family have been so well…concealed…from me for so long," Jiro began, clasping his hands and placing them behind his head casually, "You are quite useless when it comes to telling one about your family background, aren't you? No matter. Based on reports that have reached my ears, I've come to believe you are who I've been looking for."

"What the hell are you talking about," Takuya snapped, having enough of this seeming nonsense. He loathed how this king watched him with amusement as if he were anything but a threat. _He underestimates me,_ the brunette concluded dangerously.

"Bring me a torch," Jiro ordered, holding out one of his hands, while Makoto did as the king requested. With fire in hand, Jiro stands up from his chair, crouching next to Takuya's slumped form. Without hesitating, the king waved the torch across Takuya's chest, setting his ragged shirt aflame.

"What are you doing, sire? I thought you wanted him alive," Makoto gaped, completely bemused.

Jiro didn't respond, but only watched as Takuya's anger grew and the flames only grew higher with the rebel's rage. It did not take long for the others to realize the fire was harmless against the prisoner's body, for he did not burn. The flames burnt his shirt to a crisp, and the remnants fell off his tall frame. Takuya smirked as the fire diminished without leaving a mark, but glancing at Jiro's pleased countenance, the rebel's face fell. "So you are indeed the bearer of flame and-…" Jiro stopped, biting his lip as he seemed to begin drowning in his own deep thought. His face darkened as the memories flashed before his eyes. "It's such a pity really…You will be taken to the capital for further examination," the king sighed as he began to traverse to the exit, two knights following him.

"I'm not going anywhere," Takuya hissed stubbornly, spitting out the blood that continued to pour from his mouth.

"That's what you think," Jiro muttered wickedly, his black eyes anything but amused now. Turning to Makoto, the king orders, "Break him. He is too strong for his own good. Use the dagger."

The general smiled, beginning to crack his knuckles, "With pleasure, your majesty." He then took a small, object wrapped in ragged cloths from his king's hands.

Two other knights stayed with Makoto, closing the door once the king left. Takuya watched, not sure what was occurring. But suddenly the general swung his fist, which collided with Takuya's skull, and then the rebel knew exactly what was going on. A scarlet trail appeared from the brunette's hair, trickling down the side of his face. Again and again Makoto struck him, but Takuya did not have the strength nor voice to stand or shout.

"Pathetic," Makoto spat, unwrapping the object that was still in his hands. He pulled out a small dagger with a pitch black blade Takuya could barely see in the dimly lit cell. The general smirked, waving the weapon near the rebel's beaten face, "I almost feel sorry for you. You have no idea…" With that, he plunged the dagger in to Takuya's side.

The rebel's eyes went wide as his body began to sear with an unforgettable, unbearable pain so intense, like an endless fire coursing through his veins with no way of extinguishing it, he fell unconscious within seconds.

* * *

The Council Meeting was but ten minutes away, so King Silos and Akeno had to go claim their respective seats, but Akeno promised his daughter that he would help her with Takuya after the meeting had concluded. Izumi was now in the grand foyer, waiting for Kouichi. Though she was required to go to the conference as well, she had told her father to go on without her for the time being, for she wished to wait for Kouichi and his family. Akeno had no objections. Her mother probably would have, but Saki had gone to the infirmary claiming to have a sudden, horrid headache. Finally when the Minamoto family and Junpei came through the room, Izumi ran up to Kouichi, pulling him in to an embrace which annoyed Junpei greatly. Even Kouji shifted uneasily on his feet.

"Please help me, Kouichi," she whispered, imploring him with her stunning emerald eyes. The short haired knight had forgotten how easily her gaze could be so captivating. It was as if he saw nothing else.

"Yes, of course," he replied, almost in a trance. Calling to his father, who had continued on in front, Kouichi said, "Father, I am going to escort the countess outside for a moment. She is in need of fresh air."

"Very well," the general responds, "do not take long. The meeting will begin promptly."

Kouji cannot help but narrow his eyes in suspicion, but does not say anything even when Junpei decides to join them. The commander and his father leave as the others head to the dungeons. Kouichi led the way, taking them down into the underground corridors of the east wing. He grabbed a torch hanging off the wall to provide extra light in the dimly lit passage. Izumi had never been down here, nor did she know this hallway existed. The stone steps were steep, and it was almost too dark to see where they ended. Suddenly, the countess felt Junpei accidentally step on her dress, causing her to trip and nearly fall, but Kouichi was quick on his feet, catching her.

"I am so sorry, my lady!" Junpei exclaimed, horrified.

"It's all right," Izumi breathed, blushing as she realized how close her face was to Kouichi's and how tightly his arms were wrapped around her waist, "Thank you, Kouichi."

The knight smirked, almost reluctantly letting her go. They continued to travel down, but suddenly Izumi felt a strange presence. Gasping, her grip hardened on Kouichi's arm, causing him to cast her a concerned glance. "Is everything alright, my lady?" he asked, watching as she tightly shut her eyes, trying to fight the dark, spectral sensation away.

"Something's not right," muttered, gaping as if she were about to vomit, "there is something heavy in the room. I can feel it. Oh, Kouichi, it's terrible. It's so dark. Why do I feel such despair? It's as if a terrible darkness has swallowed whatever light there was down in these dungeons."

"We should turn back," Junpei growled, frustrated at seeing Izumi in such uneasiness.

"No! We must keep going," Izumi breathed, her bright eyes reopening, pleading with Kouichi.

_In the firelight she's even more beautiful,_ he thought, but quickly shook his head to focus. "Are you going to be alright?" he questioned.

"Yes," she nodded confidently, "we must save Takuya. He's my friend and I would do the same for you two."

For some odd reason, Izumi could sense that the knight was greatly encouraged by her last statement to the point that he was determined to succeed for her. It was strange sensing this tremendous determination from Kouichi, when his eyes gave nothing away and his mouth was still set in its hard line. Izumi did not know if she was confusing his determination for her own, but resolve was in the air and the three proceeded. They made it down the stairs and were now forced to choose which corridor they should proceed in. Left or right.

Kouichi cursed, waving his torch in both directions as if it were going to shine brighter along the path they were supposed to take, but of course it did not.

"This way," Izumi breathed, instinctively following the left corridor. She had no idea how she knew, but the countess could feel a whole slew of emotions emitting themselves from this direction. It was odd, she felt as if she were going mad to be sensing emotions that were not her own, but still she led the way. Izumi closed her eyes for a moment. She felt anger and evil all wrapped in an ominous darkness, which caused her to shudder, but in all this, there was the faintest light of courage. That had to be Takuya.

* * *

"The Council Meeting is about to begin! Please take your seats!" announced the squire from the center of the large room which was decorated with coat of arms, the banners from all kingdoms, great and small, and elegant wooden tables had been set up to form a giant circle. The King and his general were the only ones who sat at their designated tables, with the name of their kingdom engraved on the front. The rest of the audience stood about the room, circling the set up, but kept a little distance away by a red velvet rope, which surrounded the council. King Silos and General Kane sat at the table across from Akeno and his king, Subaru. A jolly, fat old king, who rarely took anything seriously but loved his kingdom dearly. However, he threw parties more than often and was usually the first one drunk. Still, Akeno respected the genuinely nice man, and they have been close friends since childhood. Next to the Renai table, was the eastern kingdom table of Aernal with king Zane and General Tyson sitting at its chairs. Zane was a mediocre king, with not much ambition or social skills. He was also remarkably plain looking, with short brown hair, dark eyes, and freckled skin. He preferred to keep to himself and did not want the kingship in the first place. If anyone was asked, they would say that Tyson was the one who actually ran the kingdom, performing many duties a king should be responsible for. Tyson was handsome, with light grey eyes, reddish hair, and a strong build. He was ambitious and a good general, but sometimes Akeno feared the man to be too full of himself.

Of course, however, none in the room could match the sheer presence of King Jiro. He sat coolly back in his chair, with strong arms placed behind his head. His dark hair was combed back, revealing even more of his perfect marble skin. His black eyes could hypnotize gazes as they sparkled with energy. Akeno watched as all the women became entranced and started to giggle. Jiro would cast them a brilliant smile, which would send them into fits of sheer hysteria. Finally as the council was brought order, Jiro began to straighten up his posture while leaning in to whisper something to Makoto.

Each year, the Kings would vote as to who begins the meeting. The results would be tallied by the commanders and if there was a tie the commanders would vote as well. "King Jiro, because you have not been to a Council meeting thus far, you have been selected to begin the discussions," Tyson read aloud after being handed a scroll with the results of the poll.

The king of Kalin did not look surprised. More amused than anything. "Alright, well, I should begin with an apology. I am sorry for not having been here the past few years, but I am delighted to be here now in all your good companies. Honestly, I do not have much else to say, for my inexperience in this procedure hinders me. What else would you like me to address?"

King Subaru began, "Why have you not been with us before? We don't bite, Jiro ol' boy." The man chuckled, folding his hands across his belly.

Jiro gave the council a crooked smile, "I've been busy."

"Vague, but adequate," Tyson shrugged, not really caring what this King had to say, he was more interested to get on with his own propositions, "If I may, I would like to address the Council about the lesser kingdoms…"

* * *

Roran and Davis were in. They had snuck in to the castle with their disguises and help from Carmen's friend. Of course they were now faced with a choice. Find Takuya, or go to the meeting. Roran's grey eyes flickered about, as if looking for inspiration on what to do, when suddenly a cloaked figure revealed itself from behind a marble pillar. The two rebels exchanged glances and realized that they were completely alone in this hall with the ominous being. They drew their daggers.

"Put those away, they have no power with me," she spoke, her voice low and powerful like always, "I know who you seek, but there is no time. You both must leave this castle immediately. Everyone here is in grave danger."

Roran paused, immediately knowing that this was the woman who visited Carmen, "Who are you?"

"Ask me again the next time we meet and I will tell you. But there is little time now. You must go to the dungeons and find the countess. Bring her and her friends back to your base where it will be safe. I will meet you there after the darkness has been unleashed," she spoke quickly and urgently.

"What about Takuya?" Davis objected.

"I will see to the Hero of Shadowed Flame," she announced, "but Roran, you have been chosen. It is urgent I do this now, however the effects of the spell will not weaken you as much as it did the others for I know you need your strength."

"What are you talking about!" the rebel growled, now beyond frustrated.

"Whatever you do, do not go into the Council Meeting! Roran, Heir of Wood! Tá tú bheannaigh!" A beam of light shot from her hand, knocking Roran to the floor. Next thing the two knew, it went dark.

* * *

_Chapter Summary! (Kouichi thought what?)(And this one is brief, sorry)_

_Ok, the chap starts out with Carmen realizing she has some strange ability when it come to water. Think water bender from Avatar! Anyway, she then is interrupted by Roran and Davis who tell her Takuya's been arrested. Carmen eventually agrees that they have to rescue him, so she tells them to try after the Council Meeting._

_Meanwhile, Akeno, Silos, and Kouichi are interrupted by Junpei who says Izumi has arrived needing to speak to her father. She goes on to say that they must free Takuya because he saved her life, even though Kouji is sort of jealous, but his brother is being all sweet and adorable. The group decides there's nothing they can do right now..cough cough.._

_Takuya, while is prison, has a weird dream about a guy named Shin and his wife Hikari. Not much is known about these characters yet, but things will come together soon. After an intense interrogation, Jiro decides to have Takuya stabbed by some special blade which knocks him out._

_Kouichi, Junpei, and Izumi have decided to go and try to rescue Takuya during the Council meeting. However, Kouichi is showing some affection towers Izumi (but I mean, who can help it, she's gorge). But is Izumi returning his affections?...hopefully not. She's Takuya's biotch! _

_Finally, Roran and Davis have made it into the castle, only to be found by that weird, cloaked woman. She blesses Roran with the Spirit of Wood and knocks the two out, but not before warning them of some terror that will happen next chap. They have to find Izumi and the others and bring them back to their base when this happens._

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (even though we haven't met all of them):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Major Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

_Characters (you may not know)_:

- Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	9. An Awakening

**_Shadowed Flame  
_****A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

Disclaimer: I do not own the series or some of the characters.

_A/N: This might be the last chapter I update for at least a week and a half because I'm out of town and wifi will be limited where I'm going. Anyway, this chapter=oh my gosh. So much happens, remember if you get lost go to the chapter summary! Also the reference section is always a handy dandy tool. After this, things begin to move very quickly for our Heroes, friendships change, enemies are made, but love stays the same ;) even tho if it might mean complete disaster. _

_Please review... :]_

* * *

_**Chapter 8:  
**__The Awakening_

* * *

His dreams were black. He saw nothing but heard everything. There was pain, screams, panic. The voices were familiar but he could not recognize them. There was the clashing of swords, the hooves of horses. He realized what he heard was a battle, a great one. He heard the slashing and tearing of flesh, the groans as life slipped out of the wounded. But suddenly, all that disappeared and everything went silent.

_The darkness has risen_

He heard that familiar deep voice which haunted his dreams. The woman in the cloak.

_History must not repeat, Hero, it must not_

He began hearing the battle again, but this time it was distant. He heard footsteps drawing nearer to him however, and two voices arguing: "You're killing her!" one man shouted, as the clang of metal rang out.

"No, you are! You're plotting against us!" the other man screamed in a deep, vengeful voice, which rang and echoed painfully in his ears. Was that his own voice?

"Takuya, think about what you're doing!" the other man he did not recognize growled back, "You're blind! He's tricked you."

Takuya could not believe what he was hearing. This was a nightmare. He couldn't believe it for a second. He tried to wake up.

Suddenly, he heard a sword fall to the ground along with a body, still very much alive. Takuya heard groveling and whimpering. "Please, Takuya," he heard the other man plead in despair, but not for his own life, "Please…don't make the same mistake I made…"

The world went silent.

_Takuya…Takuya…Takuya…_

* * *

Izumi led Kouichi and Junpei through hallways she did not know existed. It was beyond dark, and no soul lay in the cells around them. The knights began to grown doubtful, when suddenly they saw two dark figures ahead of them. They moved slowly on to their feet. Izumi paused, and Kouichi and Junpei drew their swords.

"Hault! Who goes there?" Kouichi shouted, and the two figures seemed to look up, but then they tried to make a run for it. "Oh no you don't," Kouichi growled, throwing his torch at one of them, hitting one square between the shoulders causing him to fall to the ground in a grunt. The three ran quickly up to the scene.

"Nice shot, good fellow, I can't say I'm not impressed," coughed the man on the floor and Izumi immediately recognized him to be Davis. Roran stood right behind him with his dagger unsheathed, ready to defend his friend, but when he realized it was the countess he froze.

"Davis, Roran! What are you doing down here?" Izumi gasped and motioned for her friends to take it easy.

"Um, good question," Davis groaned, standing back up to his feet while wiping the dirt off his clothes, "We're not really sure where we are, so maybe if you tell us that much, we could begin to answer your query."

"You're in the dungeons," Kouichi answered, irritably, "how did you get here without knowing where you were? Are you prisoners?"

"No, we're not," Roran growled lowly, the countess could sense that he was not in the mood for this, "but honestly we don't even know how we got here. We were outside the Council room doors one moment and the next down here…"

"Roran," Davis gaped, "that woman! She must've sent us down here." Then turning to Izumi, the brunette continued, "There was this woman who appeared to us. She told us that there was no time and that we were to find you. Seeing as you're here in the dungeons, I assume you're looking for Takuya."

Izumi nodded blankly, but Kouichi was the first to respond, "Izumi, how do you know these men! They're mad."

"They are Takuya's friends…and they are not mad," she defended with a huff, but then turned back to them perplexed, "I think…-you're saying a woman teleported you down here to find me?"

Roran rolled his eyes, "Yes, we know how mad it sounds. Honestly what I'm more concerned about is finding Takuya, so can we please do that?"

The countess nodded. She tried to sense where he might be….instinctively she continued to lead the way. Izumi could feel the weight of desperation now sinking in to the walls, so she began to run despite Kouichi's protest of being careful. They were so close now. Turning the corner she could practically feel his heartbeat, but suddenly…

A flash of light emitted from one of the cells. It was blinding, disorienting. The group was forced to shield their eyes and turn away. As soon as the light vanished, everything was silent.

Izumi stopped dead in her tracks. There was nothing. No light of courage. "He's gone," she breathed.

"What the hell was that light?" Junpei muttered, he and Kouichi running past the countess to the cell from which the flash came from. In front of the door were two of Jiro's knights passed out on the floor. Roran searched them for a key and found it. He unlocked the door and all they found was a puddle of blood and empty iron chains.

"She took him," Davis assumed, still incredulous.

"Who? Who took him?" Izumi cried, completely overwhelmed by confusion.

"The woman who sent us here to find you," Roran muttered in awe, staring at the pool of blood, sinking to his knees "…what did they do to him?"

Kouichi simply shook his head, "This is getting a bit out of hand…this woman…where would she have taken him?"

Davis shook his head in a daze, "All she told us was to find you and lead you all to our base, for there was danger here…she said she would meet us there."

"Then we have to go with you," Izumi said, blinking, her expression reflecting Roran's, "we have to ask what she's done with him."

"Izumi, this is mad!" Kouichi groaned, "We have to stay here. The Council Meeting is already under way."

She did not know why or how, but she utterly knew that this was her fate. She was to go with Roran and Davis out of this castle. And deep down inside, she knew that this was for good. "I'm so sorry father," she whispered just to herself before beginning to cry silently. Through her tears she said, "I am not to go back, Kouichi, you must understand. I am being called to leave. I believe every word they say. We will die if we do not go."

"Izumi, please!" the knight grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into those piercing green eyes, "You must understand that what they are saying is impossible."

"No," it was Junpei's turn to interrupt, "No, what they say is true. This woman…cloaked, correct? She came to me. She told me I was chosen and then hit me with a beam of light that was emitted from her palm. She used magic, I swear it. I always thought it was a dream until now."

Kouichi froze. What would his father say? His brother? However he could not deny the small voice inside his head screaming for him to go as well. Snarling he buried his head in his hands. "Dammit! We have to get out," he realized.

* * *

The Council Meeting dragged on. Akeno sat on the edge of boredom, wishing that Silos would address Jiro on his military advances, but the wise king stayed silent, and the southern general figured that it was because such a statement would create a disruption in the meeting. Perhaps the Silos was waiting to speak to him alone about the subject…or at least this was what he thought until Kane Minamoto began to speak.

"King Jiro, what do you have to say about the mass distribution of your army to various military bases along the edges of your kingdom? I find it most odd. Are you preparing for something? Not only that, how are your forces so large?"

Silos felt his mouth go dry and his wrinkled eyes tried to suppress their surprise and panic, but he casted a quick glance at Akeno. The southern general knew immediately that the subject was not to come up and that Kane had been foolish.

However, Jiro did not reveal the slightest hint of surprise. Instead, he continued to glance casually about the room, his lips still curled in to a smirk. He removed the fingers that had been holding up his chin as he began to straighten his posture in order to respond. "Finally, an interesting question. I was beginning to think you all daft," he chuckled, stealing a dark glance over at King Silos, whose face seemed to be draining of all color, "You foolish men…you need to learn to be more observant. Indeed I am preparing for something."

"Your words are most inappropriate for this meeting, Jiro," Zane spoke, shifting uneasily in his chair, "You are being most condescending."

Jiro could not help but laugh aloud at this, "Zane, so you are observant after all, I was beginning to worry."

Tyson grew angry at this insult, but before he could speak, Subaru began, "Jiro, what exactly are you preparing for?"

Akeno suddenly began panicked at the sight of Jiro's wicked smile. And then that is where it all clicked for the general. The reason Silos wished for him to read up on the Heroes, the reason Jiro had tried destroying the scrolls and books, the reason he had stayed so young…

"I am preparing to bring the entire land of Kamora under…one banner, if you will," the northern king responded, "too long has this land achieved nothing."

"What are you saying?" exclaimed Tyson, enraged.

Kouji was now even beginning to fret. His arms unfolded from his chest and he moved through the crowd to the front in order to observe the scene.

"I am preparing for a complete and utter war, unless you are willing to join me, of course." Jiro then stood up to walk towards the center of the circle. He gave Makoto a quick nod, signaling for the general to silently leave and Kouji grew even more suspicious.

"You're mad," Tyson growled, pointing an accusatory finger towards the king, "You killed your way up to the throne you bastard!"

Jiro shrugged, still smiling, "Of course I did. But that was inevitable. My power is beyond your comprehension."

And with that, Akeno realized that this was no man, nor was his real name Jiro. He was a Hero, the dark one; the betrayer, Haishin. And he had returned.

Tyson then drew his sword, exclaiming, "This peace will not be ruined by a mad man." He charged, sword lifted high and ready to strike down on his enemy.

However, Tyson was not even able to reach Jiro, for another's sword had pieced through his back, causing him to drop dead on the floor. Akeno's eyes flew wide in horror as he watched Kane slide his sword back out of Tyson's body, leaving a bloody mess of flesh on the floor. Kouji felt his strength leave him and his face go white. He refused to believe what he saw.

"Thank you general," Jiro grinned, "now where was I? Ah yes, join me and your lives will be spared. It's really as simple as that."

"Kane what have you done!" Akeno roared and soon the Council Room erupted in to sheer alarm.

Zane and Subaru's knights soon drew their swords, all began charging at Jiro, but the king began forming a dark energy in his palm. Before the soldiers could even touch him, they were all hit by a beam of shadows so powerful it disintegrated them on the spot and even continued on to hit the back wall of the room. Stone and debris flew from the impact, and the walls began collapsing. Akeno immediately began searching the room for his wife and daughter, and suddenly he was thankful they did not come.

"Akeno, we must leave," it was Silos who found him.

"But, Kane-"

"He has joined Jiro."

Kouji tried to fight his way against the mass of knights and aristocrats in order to get to his father, but his strength waned even more as he watched in terror how his father continued to strike his own men down. Kane even lifted his sword and cut the throat of King Zane. Blood and ash spewed everywhere. Kane then caught sight of his son and held out his hand, shouting over the panic, "Come, son! Help your father!"

Kouji only stood there, frozen. He stared at his father's outstretched hand, instinctively shaking his head in disbelief. His thoughts flashed to his brother and to Izumi. He must protect them. He must go. With that, the commander took off, leaving his father shocked and enraged. However there was no time to follow him.

Jiro caught sight of Silos and Akeno attempting to escape from the room. The southern general saw how the king's palms began to darken with his energy and quickly tackled Silos to the floor, allowing for the beam to miss them by inches. The wall behind them, however, exploded. Soon the room was to fall in to itself. They must hurry.

Akeno scanned the room for his king Subaru, but found him dead on the floor, slaughtered by Kane's blade. Jiro's knights also continued to hack at the men and women attempting to leave. It was a bloodbath as red splashed all over the walls and floor, and there was no way out.

Or so he thought…

"The back," Silos coughed, the dust and smoke from the destruction effecting his breathing, "there is a back door behind the portrait next to the fireplace."

Akeno helped the old king back up to his feet and the two limped their way to the back of the room, avoiding falling marble and rock along the way. Sweat appeared on their brows and their faces were covered in soot. Akeno could hardly see. At the end, he ended up having to feel for a large portrait of king Brimnack, which when removed, indeed hid a wooden door. Akeno easily kicked it down. It was pitch black inside with no way of knowing where it led, but it was their only chance. Faith became their legs.

* * *

Roran, Davis, Kouichi, Junpei, and Izumi all erupted from the dungeon and in to a chaotic hallway. People were scrambling about in horror leaving them all utterly bemused. They then saw knights dressed in black armor bearing the northern kingdom symbol of a red dragon on their breastplates. The knights were slaughtering people emotionlessly, without a hint of hesitation. Their faces were protected by a black helmet, but Izumi could sense no remorse pulsing from their minds. She felt nothing but the sheer fear of the people trying to escape.

One knight soon came upon her and attempted to cut her down, but Kouichi was quick to gut him; swinging his blade right through the soldier's abdomen allowing for intestines and blood to splash on to the floor. Izumi gasped at the horrific sight and instantly grew light headed at the metallic smell filling the air. "Quick, we must go-," Kouichi was saying but suddenly he was knocked down to the floor by a large hammer collided with his leg. He cried out, hearing the shattering of his own bones. The dark knight that had swung it held the weapon high once more, preparing to bash the twin's skull in.

Roran threw his dagger. It flew straight and true, right in to the knight's eye. He dropped his hammer right beside Kouichi and stumbled back a bit, but Izumi found it odd that she sensed him in no pain. It was even stranger when the knight seemed to recover, with the rebel's dagger still embedded in his eye, and reached for his hammer once more. However, he failed to obtain it for another's blade was swung and left the dark knight's head falling to the floor. The rest of the body followed a few seconds later. Kouji stood behind the decapitated soldier with both hands gripped tightly on his sword, and Izumi had never been so happy to see him.

The commander then rushed to his brother's side. He gently touched Kouichi's leg and the twin couldn't help but curse. "It's broken," Kouji seethed, "come, you must get up."

Kouichi swung his arms around Junpei and Kouji as he hopped up with his left foot. "Am I happy we found you," the short haired twin laughed dryly, "perhaps you could tell us what the hell is happening?"

Kouji quickly moved everyone out of the wall as part of the ceiling began to fall to the ground. "Perhaps a little bit later, brother, right now we must go,"

"This way," Davis motioned.

"Wait, where are we going?" Kouji asked, completely caught off guard by the presence of the rebels.

"Kouji, please, there's no time," Izumi started, a pleading look in her eyes, "we must follow them. I'll explain later."

She felt Kouji being reluctant to trust them, but he trusted her. The commander nodded and followed quickly as the group weaved their way through the chaotic halls. Time seemed to slow for Izumi. The entire situation was beyond distressing. Men, women, and children were all falling dead around her. It was a massacre. _What could have caused this?_ She asked herself, angrily blinking back tears, clutching to Kouji's other arm for comfort.

Kouichi's inability to walk properly slowed them down. Roran was begin to worry they would not reach the exit in time. The group erupted in to the main foyer with a wave of frantic people running past them and into what seemed like a trap, for even more of Jiro's knights awaited the crowd. Davis' face paled, "Where did all these men come from?"

"They're not all his," Kouji spat, "some must be traitors."

"Quick!" Junpei suddenly called, pointing to a wooden door leading to the kitchen, "there's an exit through the side of the castle that the maids use."

"Of course," Roran muttered, kicking himself for almost missing it, "come on, we have no time to waste."

Davis kicked down the door and led the way. It was pitch black. The night had crept in during the mayhem and the torches had not been lit in this room. Feeling around, Davis cursed as he ran in to various pots and plates, "Where's that torch we used in the dungeons?"

"Right here," Junpei answered, searching his pockets for something to light it with, "but I have no flint."

"I think I found the door!" Izumi exclaimed after practically tripping on to the exit. She tested the handle and found that is was locked, "It needs to be kicked down."

Roran forced it off its hinges without a word. The outside air rushed past them, bringing relief and freedom. Izumi took it all in with a deep reluctant breath. "My father…my mother…" she suddenly realized, glancing back over her shoulder to see Kouji gazing at her with actual sympathy.

"He would want you to be safe," he whispered lowly, "he is a skilled general and has survived the worst of battle. It's too dangerous to go back there. And your father will see to it that your mother is not harmed."

Izumi nodded numbly, too overwhelmed to think. With a grunt, Kouichi lifted his free arm to take the countess' hand in his. "We'll get through this," he said, trying to give her a small smile, but pain was evident behind his features. She could not appreciate his effort more, however, and he had also saved her life. With new found strength, she kissed Kouichi's cheek and helped Kouji support his brother as they escaped from the castle.

* * *

Saki could hear the destruction and feel the shaking of the walls from the infirmary. She shot up from her bed and glanced around for anyone she could find, but all the nurses had gone to see what all the commotion was about and had not returned. Her headache had subsided, but it was on the verge of returning with all this racket. The Countess stood to her feet and was about to make her way to the door when suddenly she heard a low, powerful voice from behind her.

"I would not do that if I were you,"

Whipping around, Saki placed an alarmed hand over her heart at the sight of a tall, cloaked figure. "Damnit, Kalin! Are you trying to scare me to death?" she cursed, shaking her head from the scare, "What is going on?"

"Jiro has revealed himself to be the missing Hero of Shadows, Haishin," the cloaked woman, or Kalin, stated quickly, "he and his knights are killing men left and right. A scarlet river forms outside your door as we speak."

Saki's eyes went wide, "By the name of Aernal! It was Jiro? You mean to tell me that silly prophecy was true! Where's Akeno? Izumi?"

"They are reaching safety. But another urgent matter presses upon this moment. I need your help. As you know, my powers have been diminishing, for I can hardly fight against the darkness myself," Kalin began, "it is a long story, but a young Hero was captured by Haishin and stabbed by a Razgol blade. The poison is spreading quickly and I cannot stop it. I need you to heal him."

Saki gaped at her, "A Razgol blade? Do you honestly think I have the resources to treat such a wound with me right now? What will you have me do?"

Kalin looked at her with those pupiless eyes and said, "We need to go to your people in Lightwell. Quickly, my powers grow weaker as Haishin's shadows spread."

"Kalin, Lightwell is on the other side of Kamora! Surely my family is going to need me here!" Saki exclaimed completely appalled by the woman's request, "who is this other Hero anyway? And where is he?"

"I have already sent him to the dwelling, and your family will meet you there in due time as well, but your duty right now is to save this young man. He is the only Hero I was not to choose…born was he with the ability to wield shadowed flame. I do not have the power to strip him of his abilities even if I wished too," Kalin pressed.

"So it is true…" Saki murmured incredulously, shaking her head. Biting her lip with uncertainty, the Countess obliged with reluctance. "Very well, let us be off before I change my mind...damnit, I must be going mad!"

* * *

_Chapter Summer: (Jiro is an ass)_

_Alright, is they chapter starts out with a dream Takuya is having that does not make sense right now, but unfortunately will later. _

_Now, for Izumi and her crew; they start out in the dungeons trying to find Takuya but run in to Roran and Davis who claim they have been teleported their by the hooded woman who we now know as, Kalin. They continue on to try and find Takuya, but a bright light flashes and he is taken. Davis realizes that the same woman took him and tells Izumi, Kouichi, and Junpei that if they want to know what happened to him, they must come to the rebel base for she was to meet them there. Izumi knows that she was meant to go with them and Kouichi and Junpei go to protect her. _

_Meanwhile, in the Council meeting, the topic of Jiro's military advances comes up and he claims to want to unite Kamora "under one banner", or in other words: TAKE OVER THE WORLD. Well, the council doesn't really like this idea (go figure) but then Akeno realizes that Jiro is not really Jiro...he is the Hero of Darkness, Haishin. So that's just great, because he starts killing people left and right along with Kane, who on Haishin's side all along. Kouji, who was at the meeting, cannot believe his father's betrayal and runs out of the room to go protect his brother and Izumi. __Kouji finds them trying to escape the castle, which they eventually do after some injury. _

_So Saki is not who we first thought he to be, huh? She knows this cloaked woman, Kalin, and apparently has family in Lightwell. Well, what is Lightwell? An elvish dwelling...Saki is totally part elf! (I know). Anyway, Kalin asks for her help to heal Takuya for Kalin has little to no power against the darkness now and was Takuya was stabbed with was a dark blade called a Razgol. After some realization, Saki allows Kalin to teleport her to the injured Hero._

_Whew...next chapter is even crazier._

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

_Characters (you may not know)_:

- Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	10. A Prophesied Return

_****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

_Hello fellow readers :) I hope your summer is going well. Thank you for all the reviews thus far! I'm excited for you all to start digging in to the good stuff which includes more: characters, adventure, and ROMANCE. Teehee, because I know how many Takumi suckers we have out there ;) Happy Reading!_

* * *

_**Chapter 9:  
**__A Prophesied Return_

* * *

Now, Carmen Reina was known for being a rational person; patient before reacting to unexpected events. But when Roran and Davis came bursting in to their base with a Royal Commander, the Countess, and two knights, the Liberation leader was at a loss for words. Only a minute ago had Ken ran in to her office gasping:

"You are not going to believe this."

Carmen thought he might have been exaggerating for, due to the past few days, she thought there was very little left that could surprise her. Oh, had she been wrong. Watching Roran and Kouji struggling to pull Kouichi any further, she exclaimed horrified, "Have you lost your minds! What is going on!"

"I'll. Explain. Later," Roran panted between breaths before being assisted by a few other rebels. Kouichi had barely been able to stay conscious, let alone walk. "We need to get Kouichi to the infirmary first. His leg is broken, shattered maybe, for he's bleeding everywhere."

Without anything else to say at the moment, Carmen gaped, but led them through the barracks, past the women's quarters, and in to the small infirmary. She lit the torches and wiped the dust off and empty cot. Carefully, Kouichi was placed on it. Carmen then proceeded to identify his wound by ripping off the bottom right half of his trousers, revealing his bloody calf. There was a bone jetting right out from underneath the skin surrounded by dried blood and puss, leaving Junpei sick to his stomach. He could not stop himself from throwing up inside a nearby bucket. Izumi went to his side to try and comfort him. "He has a compound fracture," Carmen began grimly, pouring some water onto Kouichi's leg to start cleaning it, "but we won't have to amputate. The bone isn't shattered, just broken right in the middle. Someone must have clocked him from behind with a huge blow…"

"It was a hammer's doing," Roran confirmed, his lips in a tight line, "You will not believe the massacre."

Carmen's blue gaze shot up, "Massacre?" She glanced between Kouji, Davis, and the grey-eyed rebel, "Can some one please explain to me what happened?"

Izumi's bright glance landed on the commander. He seemed deeply distressed, but she knew he was the only one who saw what occurred in that Council Meeting. "Kouji?" she prompted carefully, "Please…please tell us."

He seemed to be trying to fight off her stare but losing miserably. His dark blue eyes met hers with a mixture of disbelief and regret. "I'm not even sure what occurred," he began somberly, "Jiro and his men betrayed the Council and proceeded to kill all in sight…Jiro, he's…he's some sort of sorcerer…he shot this dark energy, or dark magic right out of his hands! He left people in piles of ash!" At this the commander began to grow angry. His fists were clenched so hard to the point it began to hurt.

"That's impossible," Carmen inhaled, but her words were hollow. She knew it was not. She was wiping away the dried blood caking Kouichi's wound when suddenly she began scanning the room frantically. "Where's Takuya?"

Davis sighed, rubbing his weary face with his hand, responding, "We don't know. We didn't get there in time. That woman…she took him."

"Which woman?"

"The one that appeared to you!" Roran exclaimed running a frustrated hand through his sandy colored hair, "She appeared to us too!"

"You mean-?"

"He is referring to me," came an all too familiar voice from the doorway to the infirmary. Roran would have attempted to tackle her if Davis had not held him back by the arm.

"What have you done to him!" the rebel growled, trying to ignore his desire to punch this woman right now.

"I am trying to save his life," the hooded figure responded calmly, "He is in critical condition due to a severe wound Haishin inflicted upon him."

Izumi gasped, placing a horrified hand over her lips, "Will he be alright? Can I see him?"

"We are not certain, but it is not the type of wound one dies from. He was stabbed by a blade enchanted with black magic, known as a Razgol blade. It causes it's victim to become possessed, if you will. He is at risk of loosing his soul to a dark entity which Haishin can control," she explains gravely, "No one can see him."

"Haishin? You mean Jiro?" Davis questioned utterly lost.

"Jiro was a false name. The king's real name is Haishin, the returned Hero of Darkness,"

"Alright, wait, stop," Carmen begins, placing her hand in the air as if to pause the conversation so that she may process all that she's heard, "May we start from the beginning? We would like to know who you are and what the hell is going on."

"Very well. Try and believe me when I say everything you are about to hear is true," the spectral woman impelled, "I am Kalin, Goddess of Peace. And you; Kouji, Roran, Junpei, Carmen, and Izumi, are five of the ten new Heroes I have chosen for this generation. Though, Izumi, I still have not blessed you yet. I must do so very soon."

"_You_'re a Goddess? But, they are not supposed to exist," Carmen muttered, bewildered, "you are a myth!"

"And the Gods have lost most of their power for when people stop believing in us, we lose the faith that feeds us our energy," Kalin sighs, "we can no longer stop Haishin. It is now up to the Heroes. It is up to you."

"Wait…what on earth is a Hero?" Roran inquires, still completely suspicious.

"Pay attention, for I must be quick outlining the major details. In time you will learn more about your kind. Heroes, originally known as Demigods, were humans that were blessed with one of the ten elements found on this earth," Kalin explicated, "I created them myself, so that they could help me ensure peace and justice throughout the land. Each element holds a different power and sometimes special gifts."

The room was silent for a moment. Carmen was the first to speak, but hesitantly, "Have…have I been gifted the element of water?"

"Indeed you have," Kalin nodded, smiling smally, the first hint of actual emotion from her features, "I trust that you've discovered this one your own?"

The Liberation leader nodded, receiving odd looks from the rest of the room. "I accidentally shot water at Ken's face," she goes on to explain with a slight flush upon her cheeks, "I did not mean to, but he surprised me…I waved my hand and the next thing I knew the water from my drinking cup followed and hit him."

"Huh," Ken huffed, "so that's what it was?"

Suddenly, belief came to Roran's eyes, for he knew Carmen would be the last to lie about such things. Seeing the rebel's realization, Junpei came to believe as well, inquiring almost eagerly, "What's my element?"

"Junpei, you have been gifted with the power of Thunder. Kouji, you have been given the element of Light, and Roran, you of Wood." Kalin then turned to Izumi, "Countess, I have yet to bestow it upon you, but you will be gifted the element of Wind, and it is urgent that I speak to you alone as soon as possible."

"I shall talk with you after we finish this current conversation," Izumi says, "I still have many questions. Who is this Haishin? How did he come to be? Once you choose a Hero can you not take their gift back?"

Kalin laughed slightly, "If I could revoke his powers I would, but we Gods have no more energy to do so. There was a time, long ago, that when the Heroes would disobey or prove themselves to be corrupt, I would strip them of their powers and bestow it upon a new bloodline," Her voice suddenly grave, "But Haishin…a darker power gave him assistance for his quest of power. He became abnormally powerful. It is not my place to tell you everything now, for you all have a lot still to learn and this is not the time nor place to learn it. What you must understand right now is that long ago, I cursed Haishin in to the shadows for many years. But now my curse has been long completed. Haishin went under the name of Jiro and began working his way up to a thrown so that he could return with armies, followers, and powers stronger than ever to conquer every inch of Kamora and claim as his. The beginning of his return is what occurred today."

"So how do we stop him," Kouji suddenly queried with a new determined timber in his voice.

"It will not be easy…and will require patience. You must bring him down together, the more Heroes you have on your side, the more power you shall all have. However, there are some Heroes who have already fallen in to darkness…only two, though of which I know work for Haishin. But you all must also begin training at once. It takes time to learn how to control your powers, and without control you shall never defeat Hainshin."

"Alright, but where do we find the remaining three Heroes?" Roran inquired, "There's five of us here, and two you've mentioned-,"

"Remember Haishin, though," Kalin interrupted, "I can not choose a new bearer of Darkness while another lives."

"Well then where are the last two?"

"One lives in the Spiral Mountains," she began, "I will be sending you to travel there in order to find him. After that, there is a very old scholar you must meet who lives around there as well. He will help you learn more about your kind and to train…The other you all know…it's Takuya."

"Takuya?" Izumi lit up at the sound of his name again, "And what does he bear?"

Kalin paused. "He has been gifted fire…yes, mostly fire."

"Wait, so you say we are going to have to travel to the Spiral Mountains?" Carmen questioned, appalled, "I cannot leave my rebels."

"You are going to have to…for the sake of the world, Carmen. No more is this just a war between your men and Haishin, but now all kingdoms are against him. Leading the Liberation will not be enough."

Another silence settled over the room. Kouji looked to his brother, unconscious on the cot. "When do we leave…I cannot forsake my brother."

"Nor can you afford to go without him," Kalin nodded, understandingly. She walked over to the wounded knight, placing a pale, tattooed hand over his leg. Muttering unrecognizable words, a dim light began to consume her hand. The Goddess then waved it across the fracture and miraculously the wound closed instantly. "Though he is not a Hero, he is a valuable ally. Keep him close. And Davis, you are to go as well. Your friends need you."

"I was planning to go whether or not you said anything, Miss Goddess-woman," he smiled smally, playfully saluting her.

"Good. Pack your things. You leave at first light tomorrow, for the city will be overrun by soldiers if you wait any longer," Kalin states, then looks to Izumi, "may I speak to you now, Countess?"

Izumi nods. The two walk out of the infirmary and in to the empty corridor. "You do not have to refer to me as a countess any longer, Goddess, for I assume the current government has been destroyed," the golden haired Hero explains.

Kalin gives her a reassuring smile. "Izumi, I know how overwhelmed you and your friends must feel with all of this new information. But I apologize when I say that there are some things you still must know. I'm not quite certain if you have been aware of your ability to pick up certain emotions that are emitted from those around you. Tell me, have you noticed this?"

Izumi was shocked Kalin discover this about her. "How did you know? Honestly it never occurred to me that this was somewhat an ability, but you say as if it is."

"Well, it is an ability half of you ancestors share," Kalin began, "Izumi, you are part Elf."

The young Hero stopped. Did she hear right? "I'm part what?"

"Your mother never told you in order to protect you, but I feel that you must know who you are, truly," the Goddess explains, "Your mother's father was the Elven Prince, though Saki's own mother was a human. Elvish blood courses through your veins, and it is strong, though technically you are only a quarter of the race."

"I cannot believe this," Izumi gaped, placing a hand over her head. She began to flush with anger and frustration. "How could my mother not tell me this? Where is she now?"

"She is trying to heal Takuya. Saki is gifted in the way of medicine, and the Elves themselves are very knowledgeable in the field. I have sent her there to try and save his life with their resources, for it is his last chance,"

Izumi was left speechless. Her world was spinning. For some reason, the young Hero knew if her mother could save Takuya's life, she would be forever grateful to her. And Izumi had never had a reason to be grateful or even fond of her mother before. Her heart swelled with this new affection. "Thank you," was all she found herself saying, "Thank you for telling me this."

Kalin nodded. "And now I must gift you with you element. This new magic will most likely cause you to faint, but you shall awaken perfect fine. Are you ready?"

Izumi could not help but smile. "I'm more than ready."

* * *

_Takuya…Takuya…You must fight…_

He tried ignoring it. That incessant voice echoing through his mind. His blind dreams had ceased, but now he still could not find peace.

_Takuya…it is time for you to awake…_

The rebel internally grunted. He had attempted to do so a number of times, but could not. He could feel his head shaking back and forth is dismay. "I cannot," he found himself saying in to the darkness.

_Allow me to assist you…__Múscail_

Takuya's eyes began to flutter open. Blinking fiercely at the bright light above him and at the pain that still throbbed from his stab, though it was much more manageable now. His entire body ached. He found that he could not move anything but his eyes, which continued to adjust to there new surroundings. Suddenly, he saw the silhouette of a woman looming over him. _It is Izumi, _ he thought in a daze, for her gold hair spilled forward and her flawless, pale skin was all too familiar. However, in the next instant, when his eyes completely cleared themselves from sleep's fog, Takuya realized that it was not her. This woman was older, still beautiful, but held a set of shimmering brown eyes where Izumi's were a startling green, but the resemblance she held to the countess was somewhat shocking to the injured rebel.

"At last you are awake," the woman exhaled with relief, but noticed the alarmed look in Takuya's odd-colored eyes, which she chose not address at the moment, "Try not to be overwhelmed. My name is Saki Orimoto…we are in Lightwell, the home of the elves. You were severely wounded and brought here in order to be watched over. I'm afraid to say your recovery is still a long way off."

Takuya could hardly comprehend anything this woman was saying. All he was able to identify was that Saki was Izumi's mother and that he had been wounded. He let out a shaky breath. His memory was failing him. "What…" he began is a whisper, unable to force any more air from his lungs for it pained him, "What happened?"

"You will remember soon enough," Saki told him, soothingly, "you are still not yourself. Poison still courses through your veins. The more we succeed, the more you'll remember."

"Countess," floated in another angelic voice from the doorway, which led to large, wooden room, lit by blue flowers and plants. The bed Takuya laid in was as white as snow and above him hung lanterns giving off colorless light. The atmosphere was completely unfamiliar to the rebel; never had he seen such strange lamps or walls made of smooth logs. All he knew was the coolness of stone and the warmth of fire. "The Goddess is here," a tall, dark-haired young woman, maybe a year younger than Takuya, proceeded to say. Her appearance also resembled Saki's, for her skin was of the same tone, and the features of her face were the same size and held the same beauty. The only differences were that this woman held a dark blue gaze and her ears were ever so pointed at the tip.

"Thank you, Cora," Saki nodded gratefully for the announcement. She still held many questions for Kalin, some concerning Takuya's state.

The rebel watched numbly as a familiar figure walked through the door, but her hood was completely removed now. Her jet black hair fell straight and effortlessly down her back, intricate tattoos lined her beautifully sharp features, and her eyes were the same unnatural, pupiless blue. Her gaze was unnerving and seemingly distant all the time. "How is the young Hero?" Kalin inquired in restless tone.

Saki glanced at Takuya before responding. "I do not know, honestly, I do not have much experience in healing wounds inflicted with dark magic" she admits, "But was are happy to see him awake. The pain has worn off for now, but that unfortunately may fade for the herb we placed on the laceration does not last long. I am also a little unsettled by his eyes," Saki muttered lowly, "surely they were not that color before?"

Kalin looked. Indeed Takuya's irises had brightened ten fold. His usual dark, warm gaze had been replaced by a startling amber color, like shimmering gold in firelight. They looked unnatural on him, dazzling against his complexion, for no human held eyes like those by birth. "He is not in control of his powers at the moment," the Goddess explained, "his eyes should return to their normal color when he is well. Look to that as a sign. But Heroes tend to emit slight physical changes when exercising their powers. An alteration in the color of an iris is common."

"Wonderful," Saki murmured with slight sarcasm, "Cora and I will continue to try and combat the wound with our own spells, though I still cannot promise anything."

Suddenly, Takuya let out an aching grunt. Sweat began to soak his skin, causing clumps of his dark, chestnut hair to stick to his face. His side began to throb unbearably creating a crescendo of pain as the seconds flew by. Soon the increasing increments of burning began to prove excruciating. The rebel cried out in anguish. He began to thrash about, as if trying to identify the source of his misery and stop it by force. Cora, Saki, and Kalin all ran to his side.

Cora held one arm, while the Goddess went to the other. Saki removed a glowing green flask from a nearby table and began chanting in a strange tongue as she pulled down the linen sheets of the bed off of Takuya's torso to reveal the blackened wound just below his rib cage. Dark veins expanded from the stab; it was spreading. Quickly, Saki poured the contents of the flask on to the laceration. Takuya then yelped at the new, severe stinging sensation which coursed through his blood. The veins in his neck began to reveal themselves at the tension of his contracting muscles. The Countess proceeded to mash up a mix of leaves, weeds, and flowers in a stone bowl that had been placed on a wooden nightstand next to the bed. Cora nearly knocked the furniture over as she struggled to hold the rebel down. Saki vigorously slapped a hand in to her new, solid concoction, grabbed a handful, and spread it forcefully in to the wound. His blood began dripping profusely off her hand and onto the bed and floor as she stuffed the herbal mix deeper underneath his skin, patting more all around his side. All the while, she never stopped chanting in an ancient language and Takuya never stopped thrashing.

"Quickly, I need the bandages!" Saki exclaimed, attempting shake off the blood from her hands. Cora was quick to jump at her order. After retrieving the white clothes from the other side of the room, the Elven maiden continued to hold the rebel back. Saki used the liquid left over in her flask to soak the bandages before struggling to wrap them all around Takuya's wound until his wound was properly covered.

At this point, the pain was too great, and Takuya fell in to darkness once again.

His spasms stopped and his body fell limp. All three women were left panting after the ordeal. "I've physically done all I can now," Saki wheezed, completely out of breath, "And I've uttered all the words I was supposed to. All that's left to do now is wait. There is no way of telling how healthy he will be at the end of all this. The wound may have some lasting effects…"

Kalin sighed. "That would be common. What unnerves me however is that, since this was Haishin's blade, Takuya will always be troubled or more inclined to believe the words of the dark Hero, even though he will not be completely possessed."

"Are you saying that it will be easier for Haishin to blind him?" Saki questioned, doubtfully.

"Unfortunately," the Goddess could not help but shudder, "and this Hero was already more volatile in his way. This just makes matters all the more worse. Haishin is the Master of Lies. If this Hero of Fire is not careful, and encounter with the Dark King could cause him to fall."

"But there is still hope that the wound will heal completely," Cora added, meekly, "In time, it is possible the scar will bother him less and less until it disappears. But he will have to continue to treat it."

"Ah, yes, in time," Kalin murmured distantly, "that is the one element we do not have."

* * *

"_Izumi, there are times when you must simply learn how to relax," laughed a deep, familiar voice from behind her. _

_The countess found herself back in the meadow where all her dreams about a young man took place in. It was a place she found herself feeling safe, calm, and free…but at the same time, unexplained stresses occupied the air around her. She stared off in to the distance, gazing dreamily at the snow-capped mountains on the horizon, wondering who the faceless voice behind her could be. Little did she know that this dream would be different than all the rest occurring here, for when Izumi spun around to reply, she saw Takuya._

_She froze. Never had she been able to see the man's face so clearly, but there he was. His dark hair was tousled and uncombed, his skin sun-darkened and glowing, a boyish grin spread across his lips, and those memorable, warm brown eyes gazed back at her with all the encouragement in the world. Izumi found herself running towards him without a second thought, as if it were on a normal basis she flung her arms around his neck, allowing the rebel to spin her around playfully. And then-_

_He kissed her. And what was even more alarming is that she kissed him back. Their lips savoring the soft, endearing moment as if a long suffered thirst had finally been quenched. Takuya brushed back a strand of her golden hair, which was flax against his skin, and traced his finger down her jaw. His touch proceeded to linger upon her alabaster skin as his beautiful gaze bore in to hers. Izumi then covered the hand that cupped her face with her own. She smiled. His intensity she found almost amusing._

"_What?" Takuya queried, unable to contain his grin upon seeing hers._

"_You amuse me when trying to be romantic," Izumi found herself teasing. She crinkled her nose and continued to giggle._

_Takuya only smirked. "I was hoping to distract you, or at least charm you."_

"_Why even bother, it has been a while since you last charmed me. I don't believe you have that effect on me anymore," she continued to jest, biting her bottom lip almost seductively. _

"_Oh really?" Takuya laughed, drawing her body even closer to him, "Allow me to prove you wrong."_

_He then took her mouth easily, placing his lips so gently over her rose, red ones she practically did not feel the touch at first. But suddenly, Takuya deepened the kiss, and a gasp could not help but escape her mouth as she marveled the tender ardor he exhaled in to her lungs. Izumi did not know why or how, but she could almost taste the danger that lingered within this kiss. It was a forbidden treasure. Though she went on to let his tongue trace her bottom lip before slipping in to her mouth. Just as Izumi was about to let her mouth battle his, Takuya pulled away. Before she could protest, he brought his lips over to the creamy flesh on her neck, which yielded instantly to his touch, causing her eyes to close blissfully and her fingers to roam his hair. He showered her with slow, deliberate kisses as he worked his way up her skin. His pace left the countess feeling impatient, almost desperate as an unknown desire began to cloud her mind. She could feel him smirking into her hair as he playfully nipped at her earlobe before whispering lowly, "Have I 'charmed' you yet?"_

_His hot breath sent shivers down her spine, causing her to involuntarily shudder. Izumi could only nod. She was about to bring his lips to hers once more until her eyes flew open wide. "Takuya, what are we doing?" Izumi found herself protesting. It was half-hearted objection, but no longer could she ignore the burden weighing down her mind, "This is forbidden. We could be risking everything."_

_Takuya's face fell at her words. He knew what she said was true, she could sense that, but at the same time Izumi knew he did not wish to stop. "I do not see the harm in this," the rebel breathed, his dark eyes frustrated and apologetic at the same time, "We are not risking anything! You are overreacting."_

_Izumi gaped at him. "Well, _you _are under reacting!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger in to his chest. She did not know why, but she found herself torn, and on the verge of tears. The countess tried to look away from him while blinking back her waterworks, but Takuya gently turned her cheek back to him._

_He wiped a tear that had already fallen from her startling eyes with a thumb, and whispered, "We will find a way. I promise. I will protect you and our friends. Always…"_

_Always…_

When Izumi's bright emerald eyes awoke to the darkness, she found herself panting and gasping for air as if she had forgotten to breathe. She sat up slowly from her cot, blinking, attempting to adjust to the darkness. _Where am I? _Izumi thought groggily, the last thing she remember was Kalin blessing her; casting a spell so bright it made her slip in to unconsciousness. And then-

She had dreamed. And it had felt so real. His touch, his warmth…his lips upon her own. Izumi could feel her heart beating wildly out of her chest even now. The young Hero felt disoriented, and utterly unsettled by the very realization that Takuya was the young man in all her dreams; past and present. "How can this be?" the countess whispered to herself in to the night, _Why am I having these sort of thoughts towards him…but, surely one cannot control their dreams._ She found that her cheeks were flushed and her body overly heated. This was terrifying. Izumi felt joy and guilt all at once. "What on earth!" she breathed as the scenes from her dream replayed over and over again in her mind; their playful flirtation…his slow kisses. She had never been kissed like so before, it left her breathless.

The only other time she'd experienced a kiss was in a purely experimental moment with Kouichi after her 14th year. They were conversing on her bed as they had done countless times when his family visited her estate, and soon she expressed her wish to be kissed. In all honesty, she had fancied him at the time. He was brilliant, kind, and handsome…but she wished to know the experience of such an intimate gesture above all else. It hadn't been anything remarkably. The two had laughed afterwards.

Takuya's kiss blew the ones from her past away…and it had only been a dream! _Was it significant in any way? _Izumi questioned herself, secretly wishing the answer to be yes, but at the same time, it horrified her that she might be already connected to the rebel somehow. This frustrated and confused her…and she missed him. Izumi found herself utterly missing the fool.

* * *

_Chapter Summary (HOLY CRAP THAT WAS STEAMY)_

Well, if your friends bring back strangers in to your secret base, I don't think you would be too happy…SO naturally Carmen wasn't. But she takes them all in, and helps Kouichi out all while demanding an explanation. Well, thank God Kalin shows up because no one else knows what the hell is going on. She explains to them that she is a Goddess, and that Jiro is actually Haishin, the last Hero of Darkness, who has the one who killed the last Heroes. She goes on to say that Heroes, also known as Demigods were her creations and with the little power she has left, she has called upon new ones to rise up and defeat him. Kalin explains that she has little power now because the world has lost faith in the Gods and Goddesses, so it is up the last 9 Heroes to destroy Haishin, who is the 10th. The Goddess then informs the new Heroes that they must flee to the Spiral Mountains and begin training with a philosopher names Thalin.

Roran has been gifted the element of Wood

Carmen has been gifted the element of Water

Kouji has been gifted the element of Light

Junpei has been gifted the element of Thunder

And Izumi has been gifted the element of Wind.

Takuya was born with the element of Fire…and something else but how?

These are only six of the new nine Heroes. So who are the other three? ;)

All right, well Heroes tend to show other interesting powers that branch off of the ability they were given. We do not know about the others yet, but…

Kalin tells Izumi that she is part elf, because he mother's father was an elf. At first, she is angry with her mother for not telling her, but then she learns that Saki is trying to heal Takuya from a terrible wound, so she cannot help but ultimately feel grateful. Anyway, because she has elven blood she has the ability to pick up on emotions emitted from people around her. All elves are able to do this, some better than other. Later on that night she has a steamy dream about her and Takuya. What is it, the future? Her desires? Or a forewarning? Who knows…oh, wait, I do ;)

Meanwhile, Takuya is in bitter pain. Saki is doing all she can to help him, and is somewhat beside herself after learning that her daughter is a Hero. Anyway, the scene is pretty self explanatory but important so read carefully.

ANY QUESTIONS?

REVIEW :D

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	11. The Snake

_****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

___A/N: Helllooooo! :D I hope you all have had a lovely day and week. Here is the next chapter and let me tell you that not everything will make sense at first but as we go more in to the story it will. So read and please review because I love it when you all do :) and thanks too all who reviewed last chapter and I apologize for not responding this round, I've just been terribly busy. God bless! Mwah! ^_^_

___P.S. If you get lost a little, remember the chapter summary! This one if quite extensive, because I want to make sure you all understand what is happening._

* * *

_**Chapter 10:  
**__The Snake_

* * *

Takuya heard voices conversing above him. He felt himself slipping back in to consciousness, but still did not blink or stir. The rebel was almost frightened to move, fearing that if he flexed a muscle, his body would burn with the pain from his wound.

"How old did you say he was, again?" Saki inquired in a low murmur. She sat quietly across from Kalin, whose eyes seemed to be closed in deep thought, but really the goddess was merely resting.

"He is at the end of his 19th year," Kalin answers, "he is a bright young man. A bit unruly, but he's known about his abilities since a young age. With the proper training, he will become very powerful indeed. Of course that is partly because he holds two elements. Not to mention he may have another unique ability…but I have not determined what that is yet."

"He is more inclined to call upon fire," the Countess observed with a weary sigh, "the boy nearly set the sheets a flame in his sleep!"

"And his eyes," the Goddess added, "his bright amber eyes resembled the color of a flame. Fire is the element that comes most natural to him. His ability to control Darkness will take more time to learn for him. He shall need a good tutor."

"What about Thalin? Is he not the last philosopher whose studies deal solely in those of the Heroes?" Saki queried with interest, "His father knew mine and was said to train the last Demigods."

"I'm sending the other Heroes to Thalin," Kalin informed, "but I wish Takuya to be separated from them for the time being. He will not be challenged enough with Thalin and…I…I fear what may become of an attachment he has to one of them."

"Which one?"

The Goddess glanced at Saki with uncertainty. "Your daughter," she stated with caution.

"Dammit, Kalin! I knew it! I knew you were bound to choose her!" Saki snarled, but did nothing more. She folded her arms in front of her chest in a huff, "And you warned me. I remember clearly you telling me on her 15th birthday…of course I refused to believe it at the time." The Countess paused. "But as she grew…she became strong, independent, and stubborn. I understand why you did it…I just sorely wish you had not."

Kalin could not help but half-smile. "I gifted her with the element of Wind. And she shares your peoples ability to sense emotion."

"Perfect," Saki muttered, rolling her eyes. She then glanced at Takuya's 'sleeping' form. "And you say this-I mean-Takuya is attached to my daughter? Well, he would not be the only one. I think-"

"The rebel is not only drawn to her, but she has become quite fond of him as well," The Goddess said, "and very much so, if I may add. It is dangerous."

"Wonderful, my daughter is not only chosen to be a Hero, but she is also a trouble maker," Saki laughed dryly with a slight smirk, "it is a trait she received from her father…how is their little infatuation dangerous, though?"

"Heroes are not supposed to distract themselves. It effects their ability to make decisions and skews their judgment," Kalin explains, but she was clearly holding back on her reasoning, "In the past, the Demigods were surprised to find that love was the most dangerous distraction, with the most potent of consequences."

Takuya hardly understood a word they said. His mind was still in a fog of sleep and pain. He caught Izumi's name being thrown in to the conversation, and when he heard that she was 'fond of him', the rebel felt like breaking in to a huge, careless grin. And he might have if Kalin had not emphasized on the danger of it, however Takuya could not help but ignore her words of warning. The rebel stirred. The pain was there, but not intolerable. His muscles were extremely stiff and his side throbbed faintly. Finally, his eyes began to flutter open.

Saki quickly looked upon Takuya's rousing body, and sighed with relief at the sight of his normal, deep brown irises. "You have made quite the remarkable recovery, young man," the Countess stated with a small smile, "tell us. How do you feel?"

The rebel glanced from Saki to Kalin, who sat impossibly still with a thin, serious line upon her lips. "Fine," he grunted, still staring uncomfortably at the Goddess, "Who are you?"

"I am Kalin, Goddess of Peace," she responded, arching an eyebrow at him curiously, "Do you not recognize me? I've been the one speaking to you in your dreams."

Takuya shuddered involuntarily as he attempted to sit up, failing. "I thought the Gods were dead," he smirked, but saw neither of the women were smiling now, "…what's going on? Where am I?"

Kalin sighed. "It is a long story, but it's imperative that you are informed. You are in Lightwood, the dwelling of the Elves. Takuya...you are the Hero of Fire."

* * *

Izumi had fallen back asleep for another two hours, but soon, Carmen came in to her room in order to wake the countess. The rebel leader spoke rapidly and impatiently, "Quick, we must prepare to leave. It is almost dawn."

Izumi sat up, tiredly. She glanced down and saw that she still wore a gown her mother had bought for her, only now it was tattered and covered in dirt. Carmen practically groaned at her apparel and began rummaging through boxes nearby. "I'm assuming you're going to need new clothes," she muttered coldly, "though you are probably not going to be used to the fabrics we have. I understand you lived a sheltered life."

Izumi said nothing. She merely studied Carmen for a moment. She wore her short brown hair up in a bun, revealing the strong features on her face. Her blue eyes were fierce and determined in the firelight. She was very muscular, Izumi noted, thinking _Here is a woman who can fend for herself_. The countess grew slightly envious towards the rebel leader. She wished she did not feel as helpless as she did. Izumi wished she had the leadership and strength of Carmen; the ability to take care of herself.

"Here you are," Carmen mumbled, placing a pile of clothes at the end of the cot, snapping Izumi out of her thoughts, "the trousers will be tight, for they do not make them for women, so the women in my rebellion end up wearing ones that were tailored for young men." The Liberation leader smirked, "I find them quite comfortable, however. I apologize that they might not be the most fashionable."

"No-of course, I wouldn't expect-that's alright," Izumi stammered. Carmen left for the time being, and the countess was already half-way out of her dress. Her corset proved very difficult to undo by herself, but she managed. She dared not ask Carmen for help, it would have been humiliating. Finally, Izumi stripped off all of her old clothing. She desperately longed for a shower, but knew that was also out of the question. She did not want to seem like a burden. The countess examined her given apparel. It was very similar to what Carmen was wearing, except in different colors.

Izumi picked up the short, white chemise and pulled it over her torso. She slipped in to the trousers on next and found that they were felt a bit snug indeed, especially around her buttocks. She tucked in the bottom of the chemise before proceeding to pull on the olive green, leather bodice, which she laced at the front. She could not help but feel a bit self-conscious seeing the top of her chest swell above the low cut of her chemise. And the bodice was too small, so it did not close up all the way. The outfit was a bit scandalous to her, but normal to the rebels, for they did not always have the resources to afford being tasteful.

Carmen reentered the room. She took a moment to scrutinize the countess. "The chemise needs to be pulled down at the shoulders," she stated before pulling at the sleeves herself so that the left Izumi's shoulders bare, "there we go. Now you look more intimidating…toughen up, princess. You look scared out of your wits end,"

Izumi let out a shaky breath, nodding, "Yes of course." She sat down on her cot to pull on a pair of worn, brown leather boots and then strapped a belt around her waist. "Am I missing something?" the countess inquired, feeling utterly naked. She wondered how Carmen felt perfectly comfortable in these clothes.

"Tie your hair back, it could get in the way," the rebel ordered, handing Izumi an old ribbon, "also, do you have a weapon of choice? I realize that someone of your…nature, might not have ever gone in to combat, but Kalin insisted I trust you with a weapon of some sort…despite my objections."

"I-I was good at archery,"

"Good." Carmen replies shortly, leaving the room once more, only to return quickly with a maple wood bow and quiver full of arrows. She nearly shoves the objects in to Izumi's hands saying, "There. Now you're all set. One of your knights is waiting for you outside the door. He's been insisting to speak with you for an hour. It took all of my strength not to slap him silly in my irritation. Appease his discomfort before I change my mind."

"Very well," Izumi sighs, fumbling with the items in her hands, but manages to swing the quiver around her head, "and, Carmen. Thank you."

The rebel pauses; surprised by Izumi's politeness. She then nods, striding out of the room. Outside the door in the dimly lit hall, Kouichi waited anxiously to see the countess. She came out and smiled upon the familiar face, "Hello, did you need something?"

"No, no, not at all, I just wanted to make sure you were all right. After Kalin placed all that magical-light-spell-thing upon you, you're body seemed a bit lifeless. I was worried. I thought she might have actually harmed you," he chuckled, amused by his own distress.

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine, uh, thank you," Izumi replied, gracious for his concern.

There was a bit of an awkward silence. "Er, I see you've gotten some new clothes," he stated, noticing her new apparel.

Izumi blushed. "Yes, I know-it's a bit tight. I can only imagine how I look…"

Kouichi grinned upon seeing her embarrassment. He shook his head, assuring, "It is a good look for you. Believe me. You look quite like the fierce lady pirate."

"Really?" Izumi laughed, feeling much better, "I secretly admired the lady pirates when I was younger."

The two then walked out of the corridor and in to the main barracks. There they found Kouji and Junpei helping Roran and Davis pack a couple of light bags with only the essential items. Carmen spoke quietly with Ken behind them.

"I trust you with the Liberation in my absence," she was saying, "I hope you understand why I must leave."

Ken nodded with a small smirk, "I heard everything. Even the parts I wasn't supposed too. Do not fret for your rebels, I will keep them safe, my lady."

"Carmen, we are nearly ready," Roran informed her, "we just need to steal a few more horses outside of town. We only have two…"

"A few? We're going to need five more," Davis snorted

"Where are we even heading? We have no exact destination. No plan," Kouji groused, irritated and tired. His face was back to that same dull expression it usually held, though upon seeing Izumi, his handsome features lit up ever so slightly.

"Kalin told us to go start for the Spiral Mountains, so that is what we intend to do," Carmen answered, equally as annoyed, "the mountains alone are two days away, so we must move quickly. The streets will soon be crawling with Jiro's-or Haishin's-knights."

"May I express my discomfort with venturing in to the mountains in general," Davis began, "no one simply waltzes through them blindly! They are beyond dangerous. Filled with bloody strange creatures."

"You may choose to express your uneasiness, but as most of your words, they are going to be ignored," Roran smirked, her grey eyes flashed with mild amusement at his own quip.

"Ha ha, very funny," Davis muttered dryly, "since when did you have a sense of humor, Maro."

"Maro?" Izumi queried, trying to suppress her entertainment from their little spat.

"It's my last name," Roran murmured, tying up the last of their bags.

"Is that the last of them?" Carmen asked, tying a dagger to her belt.

"Yes, my lady," he answered respectfully, swinging a couple bags on to his shoulders. Davis and Junpei picked up sacks of supplies as well. It was imperative they travelled light, with only food and some extra weapons.

Soon enough, Carmen, Davis, Roran, Kouichi, Kouji, Junpei, and Izumi all made their way to the gates.

* * *

They had travelled in darkness for hours…there had been no way of knowing where they were going, but Akeno and Silos knew that if they turned back, their chances of survival would decrease dramatically. So they had kept on, feeling their way through what seemed like a narrowing tunnel, which led them lower and lower in to the ground. The air was pungent and damp. As they trudged on, their foot steps echoing in the empty corridor, Akeno could hear the scurrying of rats. The two hardly spoke, but the general's mind had run rampant within the first few hours of their escape. He now knew why Haishin never attended the meetings before, how the original king of the northern kingdom truly dies, and why the dark hero had tried destroying the records in the library. Haishin had been patient…and good things come to those who wait.

Within the sixth hour of their travel, Silos had begun coughing at the lack of fresh air, but soon enough, the two stumbled in to a new hallway. Akeno had immediately noticed it to be about midnight, for the corridor was dimly lit by the moonlight shining through iron grates from the ceiling. He also had noted the liquid the knee-high river they found themselves in. It was the sewer. Disgusting and putrid waste surged through their trousers. The two had been too tired to see it coming. It then had taken another three and a half hours to travel through, until coming to an opening. Akeno had fought back tears of utter relief upon seeing the moon's reflection gleaming atop the surface of a large lake. The sewer had led them out of the city walls, now all they had to do was jump…but it was a twenty foot jump…

Akeno could easily manage, but he was worried about Silos, the old king. "Do you think you'll make it?" he wheezed, thankful for the fresh air.

Silos nodded. "Yes. But it is best that we take off the clothes we do not need,"

Akeno agreed, stripping off his cape, hood, and gauntlets. He then dove. He plunged in to the water, which hit him like a wall of bricks it was so very cold. The general should have braced himself, the freezing temperature is expected for this time late in the fall. Upon resurfacing, he heard Silos hit the lake. The old king gasped, cursing after surfacing for air.

"That is bloody freezing," the old king grumbled, already swimming towards the shore, with Akeno close behind. After reaching the lake's edge, the two nearly collapsed, but Silos urged them onward. "We cannot sleep here. Quick, we most go deeper in to the woods."

So they did. And after reaching the refuge of the thicket, Akeno and Silos instantly fell to the floor as exhaustion conquered them, and they slept.

* * *

"You have failed me, Makoto," Haishin breathed, drumming his fingers along the arm rest of a large throne. There had been four in the room, one for each major kingdom, but the other great chairs were now in marble pieces sprawled across the floor. Debris and tattered banners now decorated the hall, along with the rest of the castle. The Hero of Darkness seethed with rage upon learning that Takuya had escaped. Everything else had gone perfectly according to plan except for the most important part. "We could've had this war already won with him on our side!" Haishin suddenly roared, causing a few knights and even Makoto to flinch in sheer terror.

The general dared not to even utter a syllable. He merely stood there, with his dark eyes fixated on the ground with shame and his fists clenched so hard they had turned a bloodless white.

"Go…go NOW!" Haishin bellowed, and everyone was quick to scurry from his presence. The door to the throne room was slammed shut by Makoto. Silence followed. The Hero inhaled slowly with closed lids, taking in the shadows left by the dim torches lining the walls as if they gave him great power. In his right hand was a blood-stained sword with a black blade and polished bone hilt, which he seemed to be holding rather absently while his free hand massaged his temple with rage. When his black eyes reopened, Haishin stiffened at the sight of a shadowy figure forming in the center of the hall right before him.

The figure resembled Death, with a great, black hooded cloak which shrouded his face in darkness and ended at his feet, which were not truly there for the figure traveled in black mist. His feet were not even formed. "You should have known Kalin would intervene," the form hissed with a dark humor.

Haishin shifted uneasily in his chair. "I did not think she had power here…but if you foresaw her coming, why did you not stop her yourself?" the Hero could not help but growl with slight frustration.

"You fool," the figure chuckled, a wheezing, horrid sound, which sent chills up Haishin's spine. "She cannot know I assist you…yet. I am the secret. I am the source of your power, not a pawn of yours."

Haishin's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I had power before yours."

"Betrayer, do you speak back to me?" the figure inquired, raising his voice as if he were a father about to punish his disobedient child, "Your powers were nothing until I gave you what you have! Without me, you would not be here…King of Kamora." Again, he hissed, like a forked-tongue snake.

Haishin rubbed his weary eyes, which were tired from killing so many in only one day. "So what are we to do about Takuya now. I hardly doubt he will be for us now."

"Indeed…" the shadow jeered, "And even if he fought along our side I would be greatly unsettled by his presence…He is too powerful. He must die."

"What?" Haishin's dark eyes darted up in shock, but he immediately tried to detain it. "That would be such a waste…" he reasoned after composing himself.

"He would have been too powerful to be kept under your spell. You do not understand how much uncontrolled energy the boy has. Kalin cannot refine it or take it away for she grows weaker by the second. She hardly had enough in her to give choose this last generation of Heroes," the form explained.

"But…I can change him. We _will_ become one of us-,"

"You speak foolishly!" the shadow finally snapped, "Do _not_ grow soft at this moment! The moment when we have finally taken over…" Suddenly, he paused, realization pouring from the figure's tone, "You only say these things because he reminds you of the one you knew...long ago…Remember, how _they_ betrayed _you_. If you do not kill Takuya Kanbara, he will do the same."

Haishin's eyes then hardened once more after a momentary elapse of reason. "Of course, my lord," he spoke in a solid, strong voice, "I apologize for my mistake. Takuya Kanbara will be killed. I will make sure of it."

* * *

"I didn't ask for this," Takuya uttered, overwhelmed by Kalin's explanations to the Heroes, their fall and rebirth, and Haishin.

"No one did," the Goddess assured, "again, the Hero of Darkness has grown too powerful for me. All I could do was curse him for 150 years, a time in which he could not set foot in the daylight, forcing him to hide in the shadows that he rules. The peace Kamora had during that time was a façade. Haishin began making his way up the ranks for another 12 years until he ultimately killed his way to the throne of the northern kingdom."

Takuya exhaled a shaky breath. "If you, a God, cannot defeat Haishin, how can mortal men?"

"My power wanes for the people of this world have no faith in me, or any of the Gods. The Heroes are Demigods, your strength is not determined by the faith of the people but by the faith in yourselves and in each other," Kalin explains carefully, "and Takuya, I dare say you are the Hero Haishin fears most of all. There is no way to know how much power you were born with for its been left uncontrolled."

"How…" Takuya pauses, gazing at his palms as if he could see this divine power underneath his mortal flesh, "How was I the only one born with my ability?"

Cautiously, Kalin proceeded to speak. "Haishin slaughtered the last Heroes one by one, killing their families with them. He thought their bloodlines all to be dead…but in his blind betrayal, he forgot a child. It was a son, born to the Lady Hero of Fire. I then took it upon myself to hide your father, Siezensha. He was raised here among the elves and I gifted him with their long life and youth in order to stop his bloodline from progressing. The elves do not wed until their 100th year. His power was too unpredictable, he was unaware he possessed any. I did not say anything about his abilities at the time, for I was still unsure as to Siezensha's fate."

"My father?" Takuya's eyes widened, for 19 years he had never heard anything about the man and suddenly, now, he was being bombarded with information. "What happened to him then?"

"He always knew he was not elf-kind. Though he was fairly treated and educated, his ears were those of a humans. When he asked me who he truly was, for I visited often, I told the truth," the Goddess said simply, "and he did not take it well. He left Lightwell in his 100th year and vanished. Not even I knew where he went, but then another 50 years went by and he came to Lightwell again, but this time with your mother, a human woman named Kiera. Though his youth had been fading ever since leaving the elven sanctuary, he still appeared to be young. The woman was dying, but she was also pregnant. Not even the elves could help her case, so angry he vanished with her again, but this time, foolishly, in to Bethel, the capital of the northern kingdom. If I had known where he went I would have stopped him, but there Haishin easily found and killed him, for his curse had been lifted. It was only by a miracle did the Hero of Darkness not know about Kiera, or you."

Takuya was silent. Shock had not yet registered on his countenance. Finally, for the first time did he hear the story of his parents…and it angered him. Jiro-or Haishin-had not only murdered the loved ones of his friends, but his own family had also died upon his blade. This war just became personal. "What must I do to help defeat Haishin?" he inquired slowly, with new resolve flashing through his dark eyes.

Kalin could not help, but smile smally at his new determination. "You must begin training and mastering your power."

"And will I see the others? Will I see Izumi, again?" he asked, rather hopeful.

Kalin stilled, pursing her lips while trying to find the right words. "They seek training elsewhere. You will stay here and train with me, for you powers are naturally more uncontrollable. Thalin, the scholar they seek, will not of much help to you. But…soon…you will join them soon."

Just then, Saki reentered the blue-lit room with Cora close behind. "It is nice to see you awake finally," the Countess began with a thin smile, "allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Saki Orimoto, you know my daughter Izumi, and this-," she motioned to the fair haired young elf, "is Cora. She helped me save your soul."

Takuya gave them both a wide grin. "Thank you, I suppose I am in your debt."

Cora's cheeks colored as she returned his charming smile. Saki stifled a laugh, replying, "No, young Hero, we are in yours. This newfound war cannot be won without you or the others. Now, I must ask you for medical purposes, do you remember how you were injured?"

The brunette nodded. "Haishin had Makoto stab me with some strange dagger. It bloody hurt," he chuckled as if it were funny, "he knew what I was, I suppose. He set me on fire beforehand as a test of some sort."

Saki was confused as to why the nineteen year old spoke so lightly. But Takuya could not help but be excited about his new found power. He was a threat, he was a Hero, and that was ten times stronger than the knight he had originally dreamed of being. However, he was not taking the situation very seriously, _but how hard could it be to bring down one Hero when there were five or six others at his side, _he thought with a smirk. Takuya wanted to avenge his family, he wanted to see Izumi again, and he wanted to be the most powerful Hero that ever lived. Heroes had become myths, but Takuya would become a legend and he would make sure of it.

* * *

_Chapter Summary (and this one's a doozy)_

Let's start with Izumi: She, Carmen, Junpei, Kouji, Kouichi, Roran, and Davis are all preparing to travel to the Spiral Mountains, a landscape that is both mysterious and perilous. Carmen is clearly not content about leaving the Liberation, nor does she display the patience to handle a sheltered countess. Izumi, however, admires Carmen for being a strong woman, able to take care of herself. Izumi has never seen such a woman and is also envious of Carmen's strength. After the group is all set, they head out.

On to Akeno and Silos' short scene. Basically I just wanted to explain how they escaped. I didn't want to leave their part of the story hanging, for they are important characters as well. So, long story short, Akeno and Silos manage to trudge threw darkness and sewers for hours until they finally get outside of the city. They take refuge in the woods and immediately collapse from exhaustion and fall asleep.

Haishin, oh, Haishin. He's more troubled than we realize isn't he? Well, he is astounded and disturbed by the fact Kalin took Takuya. Not only that, a shadowy figure appears before him. Is this figure a figment of imagination or real? Well, you'll see soon enough. Anyway, important points or questions ask concerning the conversation between Haishin and the shadow: 1.) this figure is clearly the being that assisted Haishin defeat the past Heroes, but why? As you continue reading the story, look for clues as to the shadow's motive. 2.) Why was Haishin so reluctant to kill Takuya? He tried persuading the shadow to make Takuya an ally, but the figure refused saying Takuya was too strong and unpredictable. Why did this perturb the dark king so much? 3.) Who the hell does Takuya remind Haishin of? Now this is were things get tricky for me as a writer…I want to give you all hints, but at the same time not to much because I want it to come as a surprise…

Alright now for the tricky story, Takuya's. You all were bombarded with information about his family's past so I'm going to simplify it using equations.

Man+the Lady Hero of Fire= Siezensha, her son.

Siezensha+ a woman, Kiera= Takuya Kanbara

Simple enough right? Well…not really because if this is it Takuya should really be like 50 or something, but he's not…he's almost 20. Time for the EXPLANANTION:

Haishin thought he had killed all the Heroes and their families but he forgot about a son belonging to the old Hero of Fire. Kalin hid the child in Lightwell after cursing Haishin for a 150 years where he was not able to set foot in the sunlight (we'll talk more about that later). Anyway, Kalin almost made Siezensha to be elf-like, gifting him their long life and youth, because she didn't want this bloodline to waste away and die, but at the same time she didn't want him to breed like crazy, for elves are considered eligible for marriage at 100, and Siezensha followed their rules because it was really all he's ever known. HOWEVER the guy knew he wasn't an elf, I mean, c'mon. He didn't have the ears. He asks Kalin the usual "Who am I" question and she tells him the truth, but reframes from telling him about his powers because she didn't want him to use those yet.

Well, like the ungrateful child he is, he runs away for about 50 years only to return with a impregnated woman (figures). But this woman, Kiera is dying from some illness and is already too infected to be healed by the elves. So angry again, Siezensha leaves to Bethel, the capital of the northern kingdom, and at this time Haishin's curse has been lifted and he's trying to work his way up the ranks. Well, Siezensha is murdered by Haishin, but the dark Hero has no idea about Kiera or her new baby boy Takuya. But Kiera succumbs to her illness at childbirth leaving Takuya an orphan.

This story struck home with Takuya, so now he is more motivated than ever to bring and end to Haishin, but our Hero of Fire might have a classic tragic flaw: his hunger for power.

Alright, if you've stuck with me this far, I am SO HAPPY. Seriously, I don't think I've ever written anything so complicated…but of course this puzzle is about 1000 pieces.

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	12. The Ranger

_****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**  


_A/N: Hello :) I hope you all have had a lovely week! I especially love this chapter because it has one of my very favorite characters in it and he is finally being introduced. Any guesses? Anyway, thank you to all who reviewed; I very much appreciate hearing what you have to say ^_^ Now on to the next chapter! R&R_

* * *

_**Chapter 11:  
**__The Ranger_

* * *

They had made it. The forest had consumed them with its teeth made of trees and thistles and a tongue of a narrow dirt trail, which had not been travelled on in ages. Weeds were overgrowing in to the path and rocks had resurfaced creating a tougher, more difficult terrain. And they had been traversing uphill. The air was dry and bitterly cold for winter was just beginning. Izumi was frozen to the bone, even with a thick coat about her shoulders. She would exhale loudly just to see the mist of her warm breath against the frost. _It's not too bad_, the lady Hero thought, attempting to convince herself. Sure, the forest was so thick the sun barely shone through, and though the air nipped at their skin, the seven were making progress. The horses they had stolen outside of town happened to be strong and used to this type of work, though they sometimes struggled with the terrain. However, even Carmen had remarked positively on the endurance of the animals, but besides a few comments here and there, the trip was mostly silent.

They had already been travelling for two nights. Each sunset, Kouji would start a fire while Carmen brought out the small amount of food they had packed in their saddlebags. Izumi feared they did not have enough, but kept any sort of thought to herself. Everyone was tired, upset, and honestly still in disbelief over all that had occurred. _It was like a nightmare_, the countess sighed to herself, _and we do not know how to awaken from it_. She often thought of Takuya, and could not help but long for his presence. Despite everything, he could probably make the most out of their situation by joking or teasing…or even by being irritating. At least there would be some conversation. Kouichi and Junpei-even Davis-seemed to be the only ones that would talk to Izumi, by asking how she was doing or if she needed anything. But even she had little words for them.

Izumi missed her father, and even her mother, and wondered about their whereabouts…or at least her father's. She knew her mother was tending to Takuya somewhere-but she forgot where. A part of Izumi, still wanted her to be angry at her mother for never telling her of her elven nature, but did that really matter now? Most likely not. Apparently there were bigger secrets to uncover, for Izumi was sure Kalin withheld much information from them. Especially when it came to the fall of the last Heroes. The countess felt as if something very important was missing in Haishin's story. He was tempted, but by whom? And why did he need to possess so much power? He was a Hero, a Demigod. There was something missing from this story. What was his motive? Izumi figured she would have to learn more about Haishin before jumping to conclusions…perhaps people do simply crave influence. As she had once read in a book, _Absolute power corrupts absolutely_.

Nightfall crept up from the horizon once more. They were now, Izumi assumed, in the heart of the Spiral Mountains, and this was were most adventures die. These mountains are said to be cursed, for the trees shift and rocks move. Travelers get lost and start going in circles. They either die of starvation or killed by beasts. Kouji tiredly dismounted his horse and began striking a fire to life with flint over a pile of dead sticks he had already assembled. Izumi and Davis began unfolding sleeping mats around the incredibly small clearing the group decided to stop at, while Carmen began taking out the food. From behind her, Roran grunted.

"Where the hell is Kalin?" he cursed, fatigue and exasperation pouring from his tone, "What are we doing here? Her instructions were so incredibly vague! Where are we even going?"

There was no immediate answer. Then Kouichi spoke up, for he saw no one else was going to respond, "Yes, I agree this is all exceedingly frustrating, but if we weren't going the right way Kalin would have told us. But, I don't know how we are supposed to know who the Hero is once we find them."

"We'll know," Izumi assured them, but then continued feeling an overwhelming sense of doubt from most of her companions, "I'll feel them. I'll feel their power."

And it was true. Ever since Izumi had been blessed with her ability to control wind, she found that not only could she sense the emotions of others, but also their strength. The exhaustion she felt from everyone at this moment was almost burdening, however, she is aware of a stranger power coursing through the veins of those who have been blessed as opposed to Kouichi and Davis, who were not. The past two days, she practiced identifying and playing with her-more psychic-abilities. Whenever she tried to summon wind, she failed miserably, not even knowing where to start. She saw Carmen often practiced manipulating the water from her canteen with ease. At first, everyone had been shocked by her abilities until they realized they had them too. Junpei had managed to create a spark by snapping his fingers. Sometimes, when Kouji didn't even mean for it to happen, his palm glowed with a white light. Roran had also accidentally stumbled across his power. He was about to cut away at some weeds that were consuming the path, but found that when he dismounted, the plants cleared the way for him.

"You can't even summon your element yet, but you '_feel'_ things…of course," Carmen scoffed, nibbling on a piece of dried meat.

Izumi narrowed her bright gaze towards the rebel. She had almost had enough of Carmen's condescending attitude. "So what you can fiddle with water? All you'll be able to do is get your enemies wet. Nothing rain can't do," the countess retorted.

"You spoiled brat," Carmen snarled, "you're no better than the rest of those aristocratic fools!"

"Well you couldn't even protect your city! Haishin's soldiers probably have the slums in flames by now, looking for your precious Liberation!" That had struck a chord. And as soon as she said it, Izumi wished she could take it back, for a wave of shock, anger, and despair hit her like a brick wall and all of it had come from Carmen.

The rebel leader shot up to her feet. She was about to storm towards Izumi, but Roran stepped in front of her, holding her back, "Carmen, stop. We're all tired and it's not worth it."

She continued to growl, but eventually broke out of his grip only to stomp in to the dark forest. Kouji had watched the scene indifferently, but arched an eyebrow at her leaving, "Are you not going after her? It can't be safe."

"She'll be fine," the grey-eyed rebel sighed, running a hand through his blond locks as he sank to the floor with exhaustion.

"I didn't mean it," Izumi shook her head, angry with herself for losing her temper. She stood up and began walking away from the camp.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kouichi inquired, worried, "You can't go out there by yourself. I'll come with you."

"No, I must find her on my own," the countess nearly groaned with slight annoyance, but resisted. Instead she gave him a small, gracious smile. "You can't always be trying to protect me, Kouichi, I have to learn to take care of myself," she whispered, placing an assuring hand upon his jaw, "thank you, but I must talk to her alone."

He nodded, understandingly, but his blue gaze still seemed concerned. However, he turned on his heels and took a seat next to the fire, watching her disappear in to the thicket. A couple minutes after she had gone, Davis smirked with slight amusement, for he noticed Kouichi had not taken his eyes off the spot where the countess had left.

The brunette, spiky-haired rebel cocked his head in that direction, inquiring, "Are you two together?"

At first Kouichi didn't understand, but after realizing what Davis had asked, he snapped out of whatever thought he was in, shaking his head vigorously, but it was his twin brother who spoke up first. "No, they are just good friends," Kouji said, a bit disgruntled.

"Oh," Davis replied, just as surprised as Kouichi by the commander's interruption. The rebel threw a stick in to the fire place, creating a popping sound to spark. He then continued with an amused grin. "Sorry, I just assumed. But perhaps she really does fancies daring rebels," Davis joked, and Kouichi cracked a small, polite smile though he didn't think it was very funny.

Roran chuckled, but stopped upon seeing Kouji's eyes narrow dangerously. "The hell she does," the commander practically snapped, "And I swear, if you so much as to look at her improperly, I'll slit your throat."

"Whoa, it was just a joke!" Davis defended, completely bewildered by the threat.

Roran glared at Kouji, livid at the raven-haired commander's reaction, "Davis wasn't talking about himself, you ass, she's clearly charmed by Takuya. That's why he made the remark. Damn, are you always this uptight?"

Kouji said nothing. Instead he seemed distracted now. Kouichi sat still, realization sweeping over him. His brother was in love with Izumi. _Dammit_! He thought, they were both in love with the same woman. How did he not see this sooner? Junpei's and the affections of many other men had always been easily identified, but Kouji was a brick wall. An impenetrable structure, with no cracks to peek at what was inside. The stress of their current situation had made the commander slip up, revealing the little emotion he carried. However, no one else seemed to jump to this conclusion, for no one knew Kouji better than his own brother.

"We're all tired," Junpei sighed, "he didn't mean it."

"Right," Kouji muttered insipidly, his mind clearly somewhere else, "I didn't mean it."

Meanwhile in the woods, Izumi followed the trail Carmen's emotions left. She sensed her strength and her concern, probably for her rebels. "Carmen!" she called out in to the night, "Carmen, I'm sorry! I honestly didn't mean-" the countess came to an abrupt stop. She felt a number of different emotions, but could not recognize any of them. _Perhaps I'm too tired, _Izumi assumed for she could still sense Carmen within the blurry haze. Finally, the golden haired Hero caught up with the Liberation leader. She barely saw her standing quietly in the moonlight staring out at the forest beyond. Izumi began again, "Carmen, I-"

"Sh," the brunette interrupted, holding up a steady hand. Her blue gaze was shut tightly as she tried to concentrate her hearing, "do you feel something?"

"Um," Izumi stammered, not sure what Carmen was getting at, "It's all a bit blurry right now. But I think it's because I'm tired."

"No," the rebel shook her head, "I don't think we're alone. There's-" before she could finished, something was thrown over them and sooner than the two could react, they found themselves trapped within a net. The Heroes fell to their feet as it was tightened around them, causing them to lose their footing.

Izumi yelped and realized that they were being dragged across the forest floor. Suddenly they crashed in to a pair of boots belonging to a dark silhouette looming over them. Then three other men came to them, lighting up the scene with their bright torches. Izumi looked up. The man who's feet they were at, had a long black beard, which matched a black bandana about his head. He also wore an eye-patch over his right eye. Izumi was terrified, for he seemed to be the leader of the group, who were all dressed in similar black capes, pants, and boots as he. In the leader's mouth was a pipe, and he stared at the two Heroes while exhaling a long breath of smoke in to their faces. The countess gagged at the smell.

"Bandits…" Carmen spat, just loud enough for Izumi to hear.

"What now, sir?" one of the bandits inquired.

The leader simply stared at them, examining the two carefully. "Bring them to camp. Knock them out and then go after the others," he ordered simply, in a low somewhat raspy voice.

Before Izumi could even attempt to call out to Kouichi and the others, she was hit in the back of the head, and her world went dark.

* * *

"_You're a bastard," Izumi found herself saying, indignation in her stark green eyes._

_Takuya then replied with a regretful, hurt look. One that almost melted her heart and brought her to tears, but she bit her lip as if the pain reminded her to stay strong. "I don't want to go, Izumi. Do you think I want to leave you?"_

_Her mouth flew open as if to retort, but then slammed shut once again. She stood there, simply quaking in her anger. "I do not believe you are being rational," she finally stated in a thin, cold tone, "you are being selfish! We need you here. We cannot do this alone! Even you said so."_

"_I'm not trying to be selfish!" he shouted, his rage building, though he drew closer to her, "I need to fix it. Not just for me, but for you too." At this his voice softened, and his gaze became strangely serene and concentrated on the hard line of her mouth. _

"_I don't need you to do anything for me! I can take care of my-," Izumi didn't get to finish for his lips consumed hers with bruising force. She froze, stunned, but then found herself relenting to him as his tongue found hers, tasting her, reveling in her. His hands found her waist, pulling her body crushingly close to his own. He was all muscle. She could not fight him even if she wanted to. _

_So she kissed him back, entangling her fingers through his dark, chestnut hair while his touch moved up from her waist to cup her cheek. Pure desire replaced her anger now, and the sparks from his fingers lingered on her skin. His lips then began softening, caressing her own, sending a mind-numbing chill down her spine. She found herself wanting even more… _

"Izumi? Izumi, are you all right?" it was Kouichi's voice that shook her awake. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light around her. Glancing around in a daze, she noticed that all seven of them were here…in a wheeled cell with three walls and one side made of steel bars, allowing them a glimpse of the outside world. How did they all manage to be capture? He head throbbed from a new bruise forming where she had been hit. "We were greatly outnumbered," the raven haired knight explained as if reading her thoughts, "but don't worry, Roran's devising a plan…I think."

She only grunted in response. She tried to push away the uneasiness and disturbance that came with her dream. Izumi did not wish to acknowledge the fact that she had actually dreamt about Takuya again, for it almost embarrassed her. Instead, she tried to focus on the matter at hand. Peering out the bars, she saw part of a very large, bandit camp. It was broad daylight and many of the thieves were passing by with ale in their hands, laughing, and curiously watching their new prisoners. Many came closer to get a better look at the countess and the lust she could feel from them irritated, but also unnerved her. However, she tried to seem strong; unaffected by their intent gazes upon her body or face.

Suddenly, she sensed a powerful presence coming from outside their cage. Izumi double checked to quickly make sure all seven of her companions were here with her for this new power felt oddly similar to their own. "Carmen," she found herself whispering urgently.

The rebel leader look up from the wall she was leaning on as she sat. "Yes?" she inquired, holding back her irritation.

"The other Hero is here," Izumi replied.

Davis could not help but let out a small chuckle at this. "So oddly enough, we were meant to be here," he grinned.

Kouji narrowed his gaze. He felt useless and bare with out his weapons. "We just got lucky," he stated indifferently, "so how are we getting out of here?"

Before anyone could respond, a group of four thin, jeering bandits came to their cell. One held a pile of handcuffs in his arms, two held a daggers, and one was carefully unlocking part of the cage. A few others came and first pulled Izumi roughly out of the cell. Kouichi and Junpei jumped to their feet and were about to swing fists at the men until they were also pushed out, tackled, and cuffed. The bandits did the same to the rest, leading them all away from their cell. They came to a very large tent, where inside sat the leader Izumi had seen last night, the one with the black beard and intimidating dark gaze. Now, in better light, Izumi identified him to be in his early forties; still strong and muscular, but not a brute. To the right of the man, however, stood the source of the power she had been feeling.

This young man, who seemed her age, was tall and well built. His mouth was curved in to a captivating grin, which added to the brightness of his beautiful icy gaze. His dark, brown hair looked almost black against his fair, pale skin and was neatly combed to one side. Instead of the black most bandits wore, this young man was dressed in brown trousers loosely tucked in to brown boots, and a green jerkin over a white, long sleeve shirt. A leather double-wrap belt was strapped around his waist, a short sword resting at his hip, and slung across his back was a quiver full of arrows. The dark brown, leather bracers at his wrists matched the rest of his sharp outfit. He was exceedingly handsome…_almost as handsome as Takuya_, Izumi thought, causing a flush to appear on her ivory cheeks. Was it really necessary to compare? The young man met her gaze with a curious look in his eyes. Izumi utterly knew this was the other Hero they were looking for, but now what were they supposed to do?

The bandit leader then stood, lifting a hand to silence the men Izumi now realized had been shouting, hooting, and jeering at the outsiders, eager to see what was to be their fate. After a hush went over the crowd, the middle-aged man spoke. "Welcome, strangers," he started with a smirk, "welcome to the camp of the Spiral Bandits. I am Leon, first in charge. First off, I would like to apologize for our cold greeting in the woods, and for keeping you as prisoners, but it had to be done…You are quite a large group and were heavily armed. I cannot help but be curious as to you being on our land."

Izumi was to nervous to respond, but she heard Roran's voice ring out clear and confident, surprised at how well he hid his anxiety, "There was a terrible outbreak of bloodshed in Ester. Surely you've heard of it? We came in to these woods, trying to escape the massacre. We meant no disrespect."

Suddenly, Izumi saw a shadow flash across the bright, blue gaze of the young man standing behind Leon. She could feel some sort of realization wash over the Hero. The bandit leader interrupted her thoughts. "Aye, I cannot pretend to be ignorant of the kingly murders…the news of a dark army is spreading throughout Kamora like wildfire," Leon scoffed with a snort, "that northern king is an idiot. He cannot possibly take over the four major kingdoms. Look here, strangers. I understand you were merely trying to escape a disaster, but unfortunately you took the wrong turn…"

"What are you going to do with us?" Izumi asked, trying to gulp down the fear in her voice.

Leon shrugged. "I suppose I should kill you, since you know now where are camp lies. Also, I recognize a couple of your swords…knights eh? That simply cannot work. I cannot have anyone from the court walking in my midst. There's nothing I hate more than the government," he snarled.

"Um, sir, if I may interrupt?" came the low, amused voice of the young man Izumi identified before, "may I see the girl for a moment before you behead her? The green-eyed one."

Izumi froze. She immediately heard shouts of protest from all her companions, even Carmen. The countess was already fearing the worst, and her breath grew short and ragged. Leon gave the young man a sideways glance, but then smirked, "I suppose. Try not to have too much fun, though. I've got a schedule to keep."

The young man nodded, his icy stare now serious as he motioned for a couple of men to drag her to the another section of the tent set up behind Leon's large chair. Izumi tried kicking and screaming in protest. Kouichi also began to struggle so much that a few bandits did not hesitate to beat him. The countess glanced over her shoulder to meet the worried gazes of all her friends, but then they watched her disappear behind the flaps leading to the other room. The young man immediately sent his guards away, and Izumi tried to take off running at the chance, but the strange man tackled her to the floor with a grunt. He pulled her roughly by her handcuffs which began irritating her wrists, causing them to turn red and sore. He brought her over to a wooden chair set in front of a large table with a map of the mountains sprawled upon the surface.

"Look, I'm not here to hurt you," he said impatiently, pulling out a pair of keys from his pockets then began fiddling with the lock of her handcuffs, "in fact, I'm here to help."

She stared at him, completely shocked. The handcuffs gave way from her wrists and he tossed them aside quickly. Her first instinct was to bolt, but suddenly she felt a wave of sincerity from him. Izumi nearly let out a huge sigh of relief but realized that he was still not to be trusted. She kept her guard up, but sat still in the chair, waiting for him to speak. Her vivid green eyes watching carefully.

He smirked at this expected reaction. "Kalin told me about you. She said you would be coming, but I didn't realize she meant this soon," he said quickly. Her face did not relent from its suspicious state, and the young man snapped his fingers and added quickly, "I'm apologize madam, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tomoki, and I am the Hero of Ice."

It was no lie. She felt it. Finally she let herself relax. "When did Kalin tell you about us?" she inquired curiously.

Tomoki gave her a charming grin before replying, "Two nights ago. I almost dismissed it as a dream, but when I heard you all were escaping from Ester, I knew it was your group Kalin sent here to these mountains in order to avoid Haishin and meet up with me, am I correct?"

Izumi nodded. He was very perceptive. Thank the Gods. "Alright, so now what? Are you going to have your leader release me?"

Tomoki's smile faltered. He bit his lip, giving her a boyish look that reminded her so much of Takuya it was almost painful. "Eh, there are still a few things I need to attend to before I leave these bandits. I've been with them quite a while and need a good excuse as to why I asked for your release and then go with you," he explained, his smile returning, "but you and your friends will be welcome to stay! I know a way to convince Leon in to having you as our guests. I swear, the man adores me."

"Alright…" she replies slowly, still unsure.

Outside, Kouichi felt as if he were dying. Dying because he had not been able to protect Izumi. Everyone could only assume what the young man was doing. Defiling her, using her as his whore. _That bastard! _The knight seethed in his mind, his body too bloody and beaten to show any outward emotion. The jeering and drunken shouts of the other bandits had rekindled while Leon had sat back down speaking to one of his men, waiting for the young men to finish with her.

Suddenly, the two reappeared. Izumi did not nearly seem as shaken up or damaged as Kouichi expected…in fact, she seemed completely normal. Tomoki stood before Leon with a wide grin on his face, "Leon, sir, it seems as if I have discovered my long lost sister."

What? Izumi watched as silent gasps escaped from her companions. The bandits went silent and Leon looked utterly confused. "You…" the leader began, "you realized that by…by…" he gave Tomoki an odd look and she and him gaped at his implication.

"No!" Tomoki scowled, disgusted, "I wished to speak with her before because I knew she seemed familiar! Not to…do that! My own sister? Are you mad?"

At this Leon bellowed with laughter and his bandits followed suit. Roran, Davis, Kouji, Junpei, Kouichi, and Carmen were still in completely bemused. "Sorry, lad, I didn't understand at first," the bandit leader continued to chortle, "Well, damn, if she is your sister than release her, by all means."

"I would like for her and her companions to be guests at our camp. They seem in need of some good rest," Tomoki proposed stubbornly with crossed arms and Leon stopped his laughing.

He gave his right-hand man a hard look. "Are you sure that's wise? We cannot surely trust all of them?"

"Do not worry, I'll see to it myself that they learn not to utter a word of our whereabouts. And any who do not cooperate, I'll kill them. Simple," Tomoki gave his leader a confident, persuading grin.

Leon, now tired and slightly disgruntled, merely shrugged again. "I'm getting too old for arguments. Yes, they can be our guest, but they're under _your_ supervision. If any misfortune occurs, I'll have _your_ head."

"Of course, sir," and then Tomoki turned back to Izumi to give her a victorious wink.

* * *

_Chapter Summary: (Ah, Tomoki 3)_

I LOVE Tomoki…I don't know I just love him. And he'll be a big part in this story, you'll see. It pained me to bring him in so late!

Anyway…Here's what happened.

Izumi and her companions have been travelling for about three days, and they are exhausted! And when you bring seven different, exhausted people, there is going to be tension. So Carmen and Izumi attack each other verbally and eventually Izumi makes a stinging comment towards Carmen, sending the rebel leader angrily in to the woods. Izumi goes in after her, for she's immediately sorry for what she said. Kouichi tries to go with her because he's overprotective. Whilst she's away, Davis asks Kouichi if he and Izumi are a couple, because he noticed one of Kouichi's 'longing' gazes at her. Kouji explains that the two are just friend so Davis then suggests that it would be funny if Izumi was in to rebels, and Kouji was all like "HELL NO" and threatens Davis that if he so much as to looks her, his balls are coming off, but it turns out Davis was talking about Takuya.

Kouichi realizes, however, that based on his brother's reaction that Kouji is also in love with Izumi. Ah the drama…so what is that? Izumi's got like three admirers now, right? We have Kouji, Kouichi, and Junpei…who's next?

Ok, well, while in the woods, Izumi and Carmen are captured in the woods by the Spiral bandits, who also find the rest of their companions and bring them to their camp as prisoners. They are interrogated by the rebel leader, Leon, for the guy is unsettled by the fact they wandered in to their land. Meanwhile, Izumi totally feels the strength of a Hero amidst the thieves. With no real alarming reason as to how they managed to cross paths with these bandits, Leon decides to just kill them, but then-

Tomoki interrupts, looking all hot and sexy, and demands to see Izumi alone before she is killed. Despite the situation, he does not want her bod or to hurt her, but actually inform her that Kalin told him that they would be coming. So he helps them out. Tomoki and Izumi pretend to be long lost siblings and Leon, because Tomoki's his main man, let's the Hero of Ice have her and her companions stay as guest at the camp.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Izumi's dreams are getting a little bit steamier. Not so innocent after all, are we Izumi? But I mean, who wouldn't have steamy dreams about Takuya?

Alright, that's the skeleton of this chapter, but trust me there's a lot more info here. You might miss something if you're just skimming the chapter.

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	13. New Courage

_****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

_A/N: READERS :D Hey! Sorry, I'm just so excited for what is to come in this story! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it is important but not too confusing, which is good. Here you will learn how the Heroes call upon their power and the importance of faith and whatnot-anyway please read and review :) And thank you again to all who reviewed last chapter. I very much appreciate it always ^_^_

* * *

_**Chapter 12:  
**__New Courage_

* * *

Takuya had been awake for an hour now. More than that, probably. He stood with his arms folded in front of his bare chest, which looked thinner from his days in bed without much food, fighting off the last of the pain. But today he felt fine, more than fine in fact. Takuya finally felt strong and healthy. He gazed out a small window, which allowed the bright forest light to flood his room, and examined his current surroundings. This was clearly not a place he was familiar with. He only knew the name of the domain because Kalin and Saki had said it during one of the many conversations they had had at his bedside; Lightwell. Interestingly enough, the city was made up of large platforms and wooden buildings built above the ground, in the canopy of the forest. Bridges and even certain moving platforms transported people from one tree to another. Takuya hadn't really believed in elves until now. He watched them carefully as they moved about the platforms with a grace that he had undoubtedly seen Izumi move with. He found that many of these fair creatures reminded him of her, though still her beauty surpassed them all. Their hair tended to be darker in nature; there were many with glossy black or luscious brown locks, which enhanced their flawless, marble pale skin. None held Izumi's golden curls, red lips, or even the light flush her cheeks were stained with. The Hero closed his eyes, trying to picture her more clearly in his mind. He tried remembering the various dreams he had where she was in his arms, looking up at him with her startling green eyes that added to her haunting beauty. Her lips curved in to a sensual smile, ready to be kissed.

Takuya's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door frame. He turned and saw Saki walk in to the room, Cora behind her holding clothes for him in her arms. "Good to see you're up," the Countess greeted, her brown eyes studying his state, "you look a bit thin. Perhaps you should eat, but other than that, your wound is healing nicely, but I fear that there shall always be a scar."

"That's alright," he assures with a small smile.

Saki merely nodded at his response, motioning for Cora to give the Hero his new clothes. She did so with a blush. "Change," the Countess ordered, "and then go meet Kalin in the courtyard. It's on the platform just across from this one. Be careful on the bridges…they're very old. Elves have light feet, they hardly weigh at all, but you might fall through. Who knows?"

Takuya gave her a bemused look, before responding slowly. "Good to know."

The two left and he began to change. He stripped off his old, bloodied trousers replacing them with new, gray ones, tucking them in to a pair of black boots. He slipped in to the light blue, long-sleeved tunic he was given, which was trimmed with white and silver fabrics at the split neckline and matched what most elf-men wore around here, and strapped on a gray belt. Takuya then raked his fingers through his unruly, dark chestnut locks in an attempt to tame them.

He jogged out of the small clinic with the excitement, but came to an abrupt stop as he discovered the platform he was on ended only a few feet past the doorway. He fell backwards in an attempt to avoid going over the edge. "Whew," Takuya sighed, grinning with amusement at his own recklessness. He then looked back up and winced at the bright sunlight pouring through pockets of the canopy. It was warmer here, he couldn't help but wonder how far south away from Izumi he was.

"That was a close call," giggled a soft, melodious voice from behind.

Takuya glanced over his shoulder to see a tall, slender young elven maiden coming towards him. For a moment, the Hero simply stared at her, surprised. She was the most beautiful elf he'd seen. Though she held the same marble white, flawless complexion of her race, her eyes were a golden amber, twinkling beneath long copper lashes that matched the color of her thick, straight hair, which flowed in beautiful movements as the wind picked up. The lightness of her features were different from her kind, for the elves even usually held dark blue or green eyes.

Takuya only shrugged at her comment with a small smile, "It surely wasn't the first time I've nearly killed myself. You'd be surprised, I have a knack for it."

The young maiden only laughed some more as she floated past him with new sheets for the clinic bed in her white arms. The bell cut sleeves of her light blue gown had slid down to her elbows. "Were you going somewhere?" she inquired, coming back out of the wooden building; Takuya had now risen to his feet.

"Yes, I was just wondering where the bridge to the courtyard is…Miss Orimoto was not very specific I realize, for I count three bridges leading out of this platform," Takuya explained, scratching his head, dumbfounded.

"The bridge to the courtyard is right here," the elf replied, pointing a slender finger to his right.

"Ah, thank you!" he exclaimed with a grin before making his way over to it.

She looked after him for a moment, watching him take his first steps on to the old, rope bridge. The young woman bit her lip to suppress a sigh, but suddenly found herself calling out to him, "My name's Esper, by the way!"

Takuya looked back at her with another smile and waved, "Takuya!"

"I know," Esper breathed quietly, but he had already turned back around to make his way across the bridge.

"Ah, there you are," Kalin smiled as she watched Takuya carefully make his way onto the large, dark platform. It was beautifully decorated with many flowers, a stone fountain, and various statues, of men or elves he did not recognize. It was odd, seeing a garden…on a platform…in the canopy…and Takuya also found it odd that no torches were used in this domain. At night, Lightwell was lit by blue lanterns and blue lights. Even various plants glowed in beautiful tones of red, green, and purple. Saki had explained to him one night, while he was still bed-ridden, lights and plants were enchanted by an ancient magic. All elves could wield the ancient magic, she explained, even herself for she was half-blooded. He then had asked if Izumi had such ability, but her mother shook her head. Izumi was too far down the line, Saki had said, but she still possessed other elven abilities, though she had not specified.

"I called you here to begin your training," the goddess announced, snapping the Hero out of his thoughts.

"Wait? Now?" was all he could query, for he was caught off guard, and all his strength still had not returned. "Do I need a sword?"

"No," Kalin smiled, amused by the confusion forming on his brow, "being a Hero is not all about your skill with a blade or the bow. There is great power that lies within you, but first you must unlock it."

Takuya took in what she said. He then watched as Kalin sat gracefully down on the floor in front of him. She then motioned for him to do the same.

"To do so, you must focus. Focus on your power," the goddess instructed, "your element runs in your veins. If you think flame, it will come to you. It is almost second nature."

And so, Takuya called a flame to his palm, easily. He watched it blow lightly with the wind and continue burning brightly. _More,_ he thought and the fire grew taller and hotter. The Hero then shrugged, a slight smirk at his face, "And that's it?" He closed his hand, the fire disappearing.

"Quite," Kalin nodded, but then gave him a warning look, "but in the heat of battle and in the company of…_friends_, you will find that focusing it no easy task. Also, Takuya, you must have faith. If you do not have faith in your abilities or faith in your power, it will not come to you."

Takuya nodded, understanding. "Did the most powerful Heroes have more focus? Or more faith?" He was not sure where the question came from, but still was eager to know the answer. He was determined to learn how to be the best Hero he could in order to avenge his family, protect his friends, and protect Izumi.

Kalin sighed. "Faith always outweighs focus, for how can you focus if you do not believe you can?"

* * *

Izumi reached behind her drawing an arrow from her quiver, placing it in the nook of her bow, and pulled back the string in one smooth motion. She drew in a deep, steadying breath. The fingers pulling back her arrow were nearly touching the corner of her mouth, she kept her spine straight, and her head was slightly tilted to the right, allowing her eye to follow the path her arrow would take. Izumi then released. Her weapon landed just to the left of the target's red center.

"Good shot," a voice remarked from behind her. Izumi spun around, surprised to see Carmen approaching her with a small smile. "Just keep your elbow more level with the rest of the bow…then you'll have even more control," she continued.

The countess looked down, still slightly embarrassed after what occurred four nights earlier. She and the Liberation leader had hardly exchanged words or glances since then. "Carmen," she started, her green eyes meetings Carmen's dark blue ones, "I've been meaning to apologize for-,"

"It is in the past," the rebel dismissed it with a hand, "but I am sorry as well. We were both tired, and very irritable. Something was bound to happened." She offered Izumi another smile, which the countess returned this time. An awkward silence settled over the two.

Izumi's mind began to traverse back to the day they were brought before Leon. Three days had passed since then. Izumi had explained to her knights and the rebels that she and Tomoki were indeed not brother and sister, but merely said so to escape certain death. Tomoki had left, for some unknown reason, the night of rescuing them all from a misunderstanding. He allowed them to stay inside his tent, which was larger than most; he had some of his men set up seven more cots for his new friends so space had quickly become cramped. Izumi did not know when Tomoki would return, but she was glad he was not around for the moment. Unsettlingly enough, he reminded her of Takuya, and it pained her. The countess found herself longing for her rebel's presence more than often, and having Tomoki around only intensified that.

"You say his name in your sleep," Carmen suddenly stated, snapping Izumi out of her thoughts almost instantly.

"What? Who?" the countess gasped, trying desperately to stay calm but failing. She could sense Carmen's uneasiness with the new subject turn, but the rebel leader found it necessary to tell her.

The Liberation leader tried to remain calm, but it was uncomfortable repeating a secret, Izumi's secret, she was not supposed to know. "Takuya's," she whispered as if others were around, but the training area was clear. The heart of the bandit camp was a quarter of a mile away.

Izumi felt her face burn with embarrassment. She turned away quickly, hoping Carmen did not notice, asking in a voice she struggled to keep even, "Does anyone else know?"

Trying to ease the conversation, Carmen scoffed, "I am a light sleeper, and we both know that once the boys are asleep, it would take a volcanic eruption to wake them. They did not hear a thing. I'm certain."

This gave Izumi some relief, but still her cheeks remained red with the evidence of her blush. She stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. After a moment or two, the countess opened her mouth to speak slowly, "I-I just worry for him…"

Carmen nodded. She glanced down at the floor then looked back up at Izumi with the hints of a smile on her lips, "I miss him too. He is a pain in the ass…but, he's like a brother to me. My father raised us both, you know? When he found Takuya on the streets, he took him in and he was a rebel ever since." She then smiled at a memory, "I used to hate him. He would tease and annoy me to no end! But one time, when I was trying to steal some food, I ran in to some knights who caught me. They wanted to harm me…but Takuya has a knack for showing up when you need him. He took the knights by surprise, knocking them to the floor then grabbing me, pulling me to safety. We were about 13."

Izumi couldn't help but smile at the story. She then told Carmen about the time he had rescued her not too long ago from a couple of thieves, and then the day they spent wandering about the town. "He's pretty stupid when it come to thinking, however," she recalled the times he angered her with some amusement.

Carmen's smile grew upon seeing Izumi reflect. She noted the way the countess spoke about him…"He protects those he cares about. It's always been a habit of his."

Izumi's eyes seemed to glimmer with something that looked like hope at that last comment. "Thank you, Carmen…I'll try not to keep you up anymore."

"I don't think you can help it," Carmen teased with a giggle, but then Izumi giddily took the rebel's arm, much to her surprise, and the two walked back to the camp.

That night, Izumi, her knights, and the rebels all went to a large canopy at the center of the camp which covered a long, poorly carved, wooden table. There were enough seats for all the bandits here and so dinner was usually a loud, ale filled affair, and it surprised Izumi that everyone, for the most part, was pretty nice. She sat next to Carmen and Roran tonight, surprising Kouichi and Junpei who had saved her a usual seat. Kouji took the empty chair instead, much to the knights' disappointment. Everyone waited anxiously for a few of the female cooks to go around slapping whatever meal they had made for tonight on the plates. Sometimes the bandits occupied their time singing or chanting old rhymes. Leon sat at the head of the table, very involved with the festivities, sometimes even starting songs with his deep, baritone voice Izumi found surprisingly good. She then wondered if Takuya could sing…she though it would be funny to even see him try.

"Aye, I got a good one!" Davis laughed, standing up in his chair with his ale lifted high.

One of the bandits they had met named Aran, with dark eyes and hair and a short beard about his chin, motioned his head towards the rebel's direction, eyeing him with amusement. "Let's here it laddy, try not to make our ears bleed," he laughed.

"This is one I heard from some pirates," Davis announced before beginning with a pitchy, unsteady voice but even Izumi had heard the tune, "Yo ho, and up she rises,"

Izumi then joined in with laughter and ale caught in her throat:

"Yo ho and up she rises,  
yo ho and up she rises,  
Early in the morning,"

By the time they repeated the phrase, everyone except for Kouji had joined in. They sang at least two other verses before ending in loud cheers and obnoxious hollering. Izumi laughed and took another sip of her drink. She conversed with the bandits around her, but Kouichi huffed, thinking the men were too curious about her for their own good. The countess, however, enjoyed their company, thinking their stories interesting and their accents very different from what she's used to hearing.

"So, bonnie lass, where's your brother been these past few nights?" Aran asked, taking a bite of tonight's meal, which was baked turkey leg.

Izumi shrugged. "I don't know actually, I was wondering myself where he's been off too."

"Well, wonder no longer, dear sister, for I've returned," came Tomoki's voice from behind her. She smiled upon seeing him and he gave her his own grin. He smelled slightly of horses, perhaps from his journey, and sweat clung to locks of dark hair, causing it to stick to the sides of his head. "I cannot believe you began dinner without me," Tomoki said in mock surprise.

"Eh, sit down you cocky bastard, I'm trying to entertain your sister," Aran chuckled, licking his fingers before grabbing a ragged cloth to wipe is hands.

"Entertain her how?" Tomoki inquired, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

Ignoring him, the bandit continued. "So, lass, you got yourself a betrothed? Surely, someone as pretty as you must have a lover."

Izumi blushed fiercely at the question, but she could see many were intrigued to hear her answer. Kouji even looked up from his seat and Tomoki stood almost rock still waiting for a response. "Uh, no," she tried laughing off her embarrassment, but her rosy cheeks gave her away, "not really."

"No, or not really?" Kouichi pressed, utterly confused by this answer.

"I'll be your lover!" hollered one of the bandits, followed by some whistling and more drunk bellowing.

Tomoki only smirked. "Aye, you fools better not even think about it," he warned with a chuckle, "But besides, clearly she has someone already on her mind. Trust me lads, I can read those flushed cheeks of hers from a mile away."

More laughter ensued. Aran gulped down the last of his ale before saying, "Ah, so tell us about him."

"Is he as dreamy as Tomoki?" Leon joked, pretending to run a hand through his brown hair like Tomoki did often. The thieves hollered again, all amused at the teasing.

"Alright, I think this is a bit personal for the dinner table," Carmen interrupted, coming to Izumi's rescue. The countess silently thanked her and the subject was forgotten entirely as Leon began another song.

Later that evening, Kouichi, Junpei, Kouji, Davis, Roran, Carmen, and Izumi all met with Tomoki in his tent. He had called them all to follow him after dinner. Tomoki then travelled through the maze of cots in order to get to his desk and lay out a map of Kamora. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it appears that we are to find a man named Thalin. Well, it seems he lives south of here, near the base of the mountain range. I rode out a few days ago to see what exactly is going on with Haishin and his dark army…he has already taken complete control over Ester. His armies are currently travelling to occupy the eastern kingdom of Aernal. King Zane and his general were murdered at the council meeting so the armies there fall into the hands of the commanders who can't decide which way is up!" he explained, pointing out the path Haishin's knights were travelling, "They will fall within weeks, I guarantee it…but to our advantage, Haishin is avoiding these mountains, for he has no need to go to the west yet…but once he takes over Aernal, his next conquest will most likely be Awai."

Kouji stiffened. That was his kingdom. His people. Kouichi also looked weary to hear this, he then, for the first time, began to worry about his father.

"We must leave tomorrow, bright and early…" Tomoki sighed, "there is not much time. We need to figure out what the hell we're supposed to do as Heroes and do it. Haishin grows stronger by the second. The faster we find Thalin, the faster we will be able to use our powers and stop this bloody war."

And so Tomoki kept them to their word. He woke everyone up an hour before sunrise. He gave the men some more comfortable riding clothes to wear, and then had Roran and Kouichi help him saddle up the horses. Kalin had told him that time was of the essence. Haishin would be sending people after them. Tomoki did not want to create a sense of urgency, for he knew that would only add on to the stress of their situation. No, instead he kept the possible threats to himself, and hopefully they would run in to minimal danger.

The sun began to rise over the trees, but the morning was misty making it even more difficult to see through the thicket. The group was careful as they steered their horses through the trees and down hills or rocks. The dew from the morning made the moss and ground slippery. Tomoki even struggled to keep his horse from sliding on the rocky terrain. He had done a lot of travelling, but on his own. Never had he rode out with a group so large. Tomoki kept the lead, Carmen and Kouji close behind. Occasionally he looked back to see where Izumi was. She rode near Kouichi and Junpei. The ranger chuckled to himself. Her knights were so in love with her and she was completely oblivious to it, which surprised him due to her ability to read emotions. Of course, however, Tomoki couldn't blame the two. She was truly gorgeous. Even more so than the sirens of the sea he'd once dangerously encountered. Her hair was such a rare, golden color, and those eyes; those startling, emerald eyes that seemed to shimmer when rays of sunlight touched them, were something else. Even Tomoki had been taken back by her beauty at first. But her heart was already taken, whether she was aware of it or not. He recognized the look in her eyes at dinner; a nostalgic look, as she reminisced about her love.

Tomoki had never experienced such an ancient emotion such as love. Though, the handsome, young ranger certainly wished to. He was anxious for the day when he would meet a woman capable of stealing his heart. He would swear to protect her with all his might. Be the husband his father never was to his mother. To be honest, when Tomoki first met Izumi, he had thought his search for such a woman was over, but the passion was not there. Even he could sense that.

The group continued on. Visibility began to increase as the sun rose higher in to the sky, peeking through the canopy. It was still a chilly afternoon. If they didn't find Thalin before Haishin found them, they would most likely die at winter's hand. Winter in the Spiral Mountains was most brutal. Tomoki recalled a time when _he_ himself had barely made it. He should have died, looking back. He was young, stupid and scared. But he was running away; running for his life.

A low growl snapped the ranger out of his thoughts. With lightning speed, he quickly took out his bow, an arrow already ready in its nook, and swung to his right. Just then, a huge, dark animal appeared from behind a tree, snarling. It bore all it's ferocious teeth at Tomoki, just before pouncing. The Hero let his arrow fly right in to the heart of the beast, but its body still continued flying right in to him, knocking Tomoki off his horse.

The ranger cursed. Looking down, he immediately recognized the coarse, black fur, red eyes, and dog like features. "Dark Wolves," Tomoki spat, attempting to lift the heavy, dead carcass off of his feet. "Keep your eyes out, they never travel alone!"

"That is one bloody, giant dog," Davis grimaced, and just as he spoke, three more appeared from bushes and trees, all growling, glaring at them with hungry, savage eyes. The rebel drew his sword as another beast jumped up at Roran, almost taking him by surprise. Davis was quick to swing his sword down on the wolf, slicing it in half with an easy stroke. Blood spewed everywhere, splashing all over the two rebels.

Roran wiped the scarlet off his face with a sleeve before giving his friend a gracious nod. The grey-eyed rebel then unsheathed his own dagger, holding it by the blade, ready to throw it at any second. Next to him, Carmen struggled to keep her horse at bay. The animal was spooked enough at the sight of the snarling dogs, but to have them pouncing sent the stallion squealing.

While the rebel leader was trying to get a handle on her horse, she became unaware of another Dark Wolf climbing a rocky ledge just above her. Izumi noticed the danger. The countess already had her maple bow out, but she hesitated for a moment, fearing she would hit Carmen if she released her arrow. There was no time, she finally realized, taking aim, and shooting just before the beast pounced. The wolf let out a yelp as the arrow flew right into its front leg, but then it turned to roar at the shooter. Izumi was too slow reloading her bow, for fear had gripped her fingers, and she found that she was unable to grab another arrow from her quiver. The wolf drew near her, preparing to attack, but Carmen had grown aware of its presence. The rebel leader threw her own dagger right at the neck of the beast. Its blood dripped on to the stone as its body wobbled a bit before falling to the floor inches from Izumi's horse.

Kouji was quick to leap off his horse and stab his sword through the back of the last Dark Wolf. It died there, struggling underneath his blade, a red river soaking the floor. After the beast had given up his fight, the commander drew back his sword, stabbing it into the ground to clean it.

"Well that was more action than we needed," Junpei remarked, cleaning his blade as well.

"Aye," Tomoki panted in a weary voice, "but these woods are crawling with beasts. Let's consider ourselves fortunate that it was not anything, uh, larger."

"There's something _larger_ than that?" Izumi gaped, incredulously. She wiped away the cold sweat forming at her forehead due to the stress and fear of the situation.

Tomoki only nodded before mounting his horse once again. "Quickly, before something else catches the smell of the blood." And with that, the group rode off.

* * *

Kalin did not always no where people were. Just because she is a goddess does not make her all-knowing. She found that it was easiest to find someone she was looking for when they either prayed to her or the gods, accidentally or with meaning, or when they were in great pain. Well, Silos had been praying for quite a while. He and Akeno were stranded in the middle of some forest a bit outside Ester, which crawled with Haishin's soldiers. They did not know where to go or what to do, so they were coming to the decision to travel to Lightwell for the time being. But thanks to the prayers of the old king, Kalin had finally come to them.

Silos looked relieved and weary to see her, while Akeno stood motionless. The general had thought the prayers pointless. "You sure took your time, my goddess," the old king smiled wryly.

Kalin sighed. "My apologies, but there are very many matters pressing upon this moment. Even I am beginning to feel overwhelmed and my I can feel my powers growing dimmer with each day Haishin controls more land. Fear and death are raking the east, for their king and general are gone, as you know," she explained, taking a much needed seat on a nearby stone.

"Well we are at your service, what would you have us do?" Silos inquired respectfully.

"Wait, my king, I do not have time to take orders from uh…uh, Goddess," Akeno practically spat with frustration, but he was trying to restrain as much of his hostility as he could, "I must find my wife! And Izumi!"

"They are both safe, General. I assure you, I have seen them most recently. I took Saki to Lightwell in order to tend to the new Hero of Flame, and she is safe there," Kalin solidified.

Akeno's mouth hung open, unsure whether to believe her or not. "And my daughter?"

At this, Kalin shifted uncomfortably. She began rather slowly, hesitantly, "Your daughter is on her way to a most respected philosopher, Thalin, where she will begin her…training?

"Ah, yes, Thalin!" Silos smiled as his memories travelled back to memories with his old friend.

Akeno, however, did not take this as lightly. He narrowed his gaze at the goddess, arms folded in front of his chest. "Training?" he queried, impatiently.

"Izumi is the new Hero of Air. She, Kouji, Kouichi, and Junpei are on their way with a few others to train with Thalin, an expert in the customs and powers of the Demigods," Kalin said bluntly, bracing herself for his reaction.

"Izumi…a Hero!" he barked, drawing his sword, and pointing in her direction, "_You_ did this!"

"You dare raise your sword to me, Akeno Orimoto? After all I have done to protect your family," the goddess sneered. Her pupiless eyes glowered fiercely and her tattoos began to glow with a spectral light.

The sight of her frightened the general as he suddenly became aware of her power. He dropped his sword with a trembling hand and knelt to the floor in defeat. He was tired, scared, and desperate. All he wished for was that his family stayed safe. "I-I apologize," he stammered, eyes glued to the floor, "I was not thinking."

Kalin sighed. She was never one to be quick to anger, but the past few days have been ruthless. "You are forgiven. I understand your fear for your family, Akeno, but you have a duty as general, and it is time that you take up your part in this new war."

Akeno looked up. He nodded resignedly. "What will you have us do?"

"Your armies are in disarray. They are scattering along with the people in fear. They think you to be dead!" Kalin began, throwing her arms up in the air with frustration, "You must take back your men, and Silos, you must make yourself known to the all of Kamora. We need an army to defeat Haishin and his men. When Kamora realizes that another king lives, the fearful will be quick to rally underneath your banner."

"But Haishin's army is beyond anything we have! His numbers are outrages," Akeno grunted.

"You forget we hold the key to winning this war," Silos interrupted with a smile, reassuring smile hidden behind his white beard, "We have the Heroes."

Kalin nodded at this. "Indeed we do. Once they finish their training, they will also be sent to muster up a rebellion against these new dark forces. But we need time for them to train. Haishin needs to be stalled, for at the rate he his conquering, Kamora will no longer exist and it will be too late for the Demigods to do anything."

"How much time do you need?" Akeno inquired, now beginning to realize what he must do.

"At least…six months," Kalin calculated.

Silos and Akeno glanced at each other. With their armies combined, they might have a chance if all they had to do was stall. Small smiles stretched across their faces as new courage found its way to their bones. It was a daunting task, but quite possible.

"Six months," Akeno nodded. He would take back his kingdom and defend this land. For his family, the general would do anything.

* * *

_Chapter Summary! (Try not to hate Esper...)_

Ok, really the only important details you need to know is that Izumi and her crew spent three days at the bandit camp waiting for Tomoki, who had ridden out to check on the status of the war. It turns out Haishin is attacking the East first, but they still have to be careful to avoid his men who might have wandered in to the woods. They set out on the fourth day in search of the philosopher Thalin, who is to train them.

Meanwhile, Takuya is already beginning his training with Kalin. Oh and pay attention to Esper, she will also become important.

Meanwhile, Akeno and Silos have agreed to try and stall Haishin's army for six months while the Heroes train.

Those were really all the important points to this chapter. And please, do not worry...TAKUMI IS COMING...just bear with me. THings need to develop before we rush in to that ;)

P.S. I'm wondering whether to write a romance for Tomoki or Roran...help me out here, folks. Please Review :)

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	14. Thalin

_****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

_A/N: Hey everyone :) I'm going out of town for the last time this summer so I leave you with a parting chapter! Anyway, I would just like to recommend an amazing book to you all: It's called Fire y Kristin Cashore. It's sooo amazing and left me breathless. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. You are going to learn more about Tomoki here and I can't wait to reveal who he really is to you all ;) PLease Read and Review._

* * *

_**Chapter 13:  
**__Thalin_

* * *

They rode for days. And the days were mostly quiet, filled with hunger or exhaustion. The chill in the air also did nothing to make their journey comfortable. It actually grew colder, for they were climbing in elevation. The nights were miserably freezing, and even their small fire did little to combat the weather. Tomoki was so sure they were close, though, and he assured the group that it wasn't too much longer now. Izumi rode beside him, doubtful he knew where he was going, but she said nothing.

"I'm sure you are used to this weather," she guessed with a small smile upon her red lips, which were chapped from the dry air.

Tomoki returned her grin. "I've been in the mountains long enough for one to think that, but there's nothing I love more than warm weather, or a warm ocean breeze. I used to sail a lot in my youth, and days at sea were filled with nothing but blistering heat and salt."

"Oh," she said, rather surprised, "so are you from the south? My father, he is general of Renai. All I knew as a child was warm weather and the view of the sea, but I was not fortunate enough to travel on it."

"Ah, so I am in the midst of a countess," Tomoki chuckled, giving her the best bow her could on his horse, causing Izumi to giggled at how silly he looked, telling him to stop. After sitting back up in his saddle, the ranger shook his head. "I actually grew up in the north…in court," he explained with slight uneasiness. His icy blue eyes began to roam the floor.

"Really?" Izumi inquired, curiosity blinding her to his restlessness, "So you knew Jiro-or Haishin? What made you leave your home?"

Tomoki played a grim smile upon his lips. "I did not really know Haishin, for I was a mere child of ten or so when he took up the crown…" he was picking his words carefully, "My father was a…senator, but never supported Haishin…the dark king murdered my father, thinking him a traitor, and he would have killed me too had I not escaped the castle."

Izumi flushed, for she realized how uncomfortable he was talking about this with her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you distress," she stuttered, looking away from him with embarrassment.

"Do not trouble yourself," Tomoki insisted, giving Izumi a reassuring smile, "It was a long time ago."

The group continued on. They rode for another few hours, but soon the chill and exhaustion set in, aggravating Kouji. The commander was sick of travelling aimlessly through dangerous woods, and he was perturbed at the lack of information he and everyone else were going on. Occasionally his mind would also traverse back to his father…how would he tell Kouichi that their father was a murderous traitor? Even he was still in shock. The image of Kane's outstretched hand replayed over and over in the commander's mind. If he dwelled on it any longer, he would break. His entire life he looked up to his father, longing to be the man he was…how could Kane betray his life long friend Akeno, the father of the only woman Kouji's ever cared about? If anything, the only reason why Kouji was here was to protect Izumi and his brother.

"How much bloody longer!?" Junpei's voice rang out, piecing the quiet, still air. He practically startled Izumi out of her horse.

Just as Carmen was about to make a snide retort, Tomoki raised his hand to point to a break in the trees just twenty feet away. He smiled, triumphantly, recognizing this place in a dream Kalin had showed him. "I think we do not have much further," he grinned, kicking his horse in to a trot in the direction where he pointed.

The rest followed. They emerged in to a small clearing, where the sun shone brightly down on to the grass. Most of the space was consumed by a tall waterfall, which poured over a wall of vines in to a small pond. Tomoki's victorious attitude deflated in to a disappointed frown. He ran his hand through his short, black hair with a sigh.

"Well now what?" came Kouichi's response as he observed the rocky cliff.

"Now…we make camp," Tomoki concluded with his own irritated groan. He dismounted his horse along with the others, and was about to start unpacking the saddle bags when out of nowhere came an arrow. It flew right past the ranger's head and in to a tree trunk just past the pond. "What the hell?" Tomoki growled, quickly spinning around on his heels, sword drawn.

Nothing else moved. The clearing quiet except for the sound of water falling in to the pond. Izumi then glanced at the arrow jetting out from the tree again and noticed a thin string leading in to the thicket was attached to it. She touched it gingerly with her fingertips and before she could say anything, the bushes began to rustle. Izumi could feel the uneasiness of her group heighten as they all braced themselves for what would attack, but she kept an intrigued look upon her countenance. The countess could feel a sort of careless attitude around them, and knew that none of her friends were emitting such an emotion. "Wait," she found herself saying.

Just then, a tall, lanky figure appeared from the bushes. It was an old man, probably around his late 60s with a long, grey beard, long ratty hair surrounding a bald circle in the middle of his head. He was dressed in a peasants tunic, with stains painted across his clothing, and his belt was faded in color and on the verge of falling right off his bony waist. In the old man's hands was the only elegant thing her seemed to own. It was a long, beautiful, dark-wood bow, with intricate designs along the grip. Izumi noticed that the string connected to the arrow shot at them was tied around his weapon. The man offered them an enormous, toothless grin. "Well I'll be bloody damned!" he exclaimed, raising a shaky hand to the top of his head, "travelers!"

Tomoki scowled at the man's bow. "You almost shot me, you fool," he barked, placing his sword back in its scabbard.

"Ah, yes, key word: _almost_," the old man chuckled before wobbling over to where his arrow was. "I was trying to see if I could catch a fish in this pond, all the way from the forest," he explained while working to pry his weapon out of the tree trunk.

"Well, you missed," Davis stated blatantly, pointing to the pool of water, the arrow's intended target.

"You are very perceptive, boy," the old man smiled again, licking his chapped lips, "I'm sure you are one fine warrior."

"Look," Kouji interrupted, already aggravated by this man, "we are looking for someone, perhaps you know him."

"A man by the name of Thalin," Tomoki added.

"Oh?" the old man's eyes brightened with curiosity, "and why do you look for him, strangers?"

"I'm afraid our business is with him," Roran cut in, "not you."

Izumi sensed the old man's amusement. She watched him raise a thick, grey eyebrow and grin even wider. "Well, if your business is not with me, then it cannot be with him, for I am he."

Tomoki, Kouji, and Roran all exchanged blank faces while Izumi merely smiled as the others tried to process what the old man just said. The countess extended a hand and greeted, "Hello Thalin. My name is Izumi Orimoto, and I'm honored to make your acquaintance."

The philosopher accepted her hand, kissing the back of her palm. "No, young Hero, I am honored to make yours," he responded with a civility he had not displayed earlier. Thalin's cloudy, grey eyes then turned to the others, a smile still upon his lips, "I assume you are the new Heroes Kalin has brought to my attention. I've been expecting you for some time now."

"Um, right," Tomoki stammered, flustered, "so _you_'re Thalin?"

"I'm not as handsome as I once was, granted," the old man smirked, walking around to the base of the icy waterfall, where a curtain of green vines hung underneath. "I'm surprised you found this place," Thalin admitted, "not many stumbled across this small clearing, so I occasionally travelled the woods around here trying to find where you all might be…seems as though I should have saved the energy. Fate is always clear about her intentions, I've learned."

And with that, the philosopher did not even give them a second glance before walking through the small part of the pond, behind the waterfall, and in to the wall of plants. Tomoki did not hesitate. He stripped his horse of its reins, saddle, and bags before making his way to the base of the rocky cliff. He then stepped in to the pond, cursing at the frigid temperature of the water. Before going through the curtain of vines, the ranger watched as the others followed his lead and did the same with their horses before letting them free. They then went after Thalin together.

The tunnel behind the waterfall was long and dark, with only a little bit of light peeking out through the vines behind them. The water at their ankles was freezing, chilling every bone in their bodies. Izumi walked blindly through the cave, listening to the sloshing of the creek with each of her footsteps trudging along the floor. Ahead, she could hear Thalin humming carelessly to himself as they all continued to travel for what seemed like hours. After the entrance was long out of view, Izumi began to see dim light appear from the end of the cavern. She sighed with relief at the sight, knowing they were almost out.

The light again was prevented from completely flooding the tunnel by a wall of plants Thalin moved with ease. Stepping out of the cavern, Izumi could not help but let out a gasp. It was a beautiful, large clearing enclosed by a tall, rocky valley. The shallow stream they were in gave way in to a large lake settled to the right side of the area, but the rest of the landscape was carpeted in lush grass and flowers. In the center of the clearing, Izumi noticed a sizeable cottage, a bit overrun by the years for weeds and other plants had begun to cover the structure, but still it was a marvelous scene. The sun shone brightly overheard, banishing some of the cold that had overtaken them from the lack of light, but Izumi was eager to step out of the frigid water.

Davis jumped out of the stream and dove in to the grass with a content sigh. "We've made it!" he exclaimed happily.

"Come," Thalin smiled, motioning us to the large cottage, "I've already prepared your rooms…but excuse the rest of the house. It's quite a mess."

As they all passed through the wooden door, Izumi felt this burdening sensation. It was dawning on her that all this, everything that Kalin had said was certainly true. This nightmare she doubted to be real, was indeed reality, and the last bit of disbelief she was clinging to so desperately with an iron grip, was beginning to slip through her fingers. Stepping in this house, she could almost sense the history of this place. Hundreds of Heroes had walked through that door before them, all with the intent to control their powers. This mission they were sent on…it was very real indeed.

Her room was quaint, but lovely with a nice, maple bed set up against the far wall just below a circular window. A large bookshelf and dresser sat along the left side of the room, while across from that was a small vanity. Izumi sat on her bed, fiddling with her bow while still trying to process this new lifestyle she was about to settle in to. Looking to her right, she noticed an open door leading in to the bathroom she shared with Carmen, who was staying next door. With a sigh, Izumi began to take off her weapons, wondering why it was she felt so empty and alone even though all her friends were here…

…_well, not all of them…_

The countess shook her head. It was absurd as to how many times her thoughts would drift to him; that rebel she barely knew, yet missed hopelessly. Her dreams did not help her forget him either, for they felt so real. Izumi then found herself at the vanity, staring at her reflection as her mind travelled back to the night of the ball. Even then, at their first meeting, his presence seemed to be beyond comforting to her. In a sea of feign people, she had found him to be genuine…ironically, despite his mock identity. The day he led her around Ester had been one of her absolute favorites. The way they conversed with such ease made her feel as if they'd known each other for years, and the way he looked at her with those warm, beautiful eyes had sent her heart jumping to life as if it had been dead before. And the way he angered her so easily only fueled the sense of urgency she found only with him.

Izumi let her hair down from its bun and begun brushing the gentle, gold curls, which fell now past her breasts. It had grown some…

A knock on her door caused the countess to jump with surprise. Kouichi then appeared at the entrance of her room, arms crossed and a soft expression upon his blue eyes. "I apologize for the intrusion, but Thalin has asked for us to come join him for dinner. He must speak to us,"

"Oh, alright," Izumi gave her dear friend a small smile, "I'll be right there."

After untangling all the knots from her hair, Izumi went down the small hallway and into the main foyer, which was indeed a cluttered mess with books sprawled across the floor, dust coating the bookshelves, and used candles laid everywhere, their wax spilled and dried upon pages and wood. Izumi turned to the right where the dining room was, and there was a stark contrast between the two areas. Thalin had clearly put time in to cleaning the dining hall.

Izumi took a seat next to Carmen and Kouichi was quick to join her on the opposite side. Thalin scanned the room, picking out the five Heroes with general ease, but then his brows furrowed in confusion. "Is there not supposed to be another Hero with you? For some reason I was expecting six."

"Oh," Roran was the first to speak up, clearing his throat before continuing, "Takuya was injured by Haishin by some sort of…"

"Razgol blade, I think it was," Davis pointed out with a small smile regarding his ability to remember the name of the dagger.

"…Yes, so Kalin took him to Lightwell," Roran finished explaining.

Izumi glanced down at the table. She had begun twirling a lock of her hair with a slender finger. _Was Takuya to join us later then?_ She couldn't help but ask herself.

"Ah, that is most unfortunate," Thalin nodded, yet his tone held indifference, "Very well. Let me begin my little introduction, and then I shall take your questions. As you know, I am Thalin, a philosopher-or scholar-and my studies revolve solely around the Heroes. This sanctuary we are in now was once a training ground for the Heroes of Old. I have lived here my whole life, reading, studying, and readying myself for the day when I would teach you each how to control your powers and unlock your special abilities. In the past, old Heroes would teach new ones, but clearly we do not have this luxury. Throughout our time together, I will be giving lessons to you individually on how to control your powers, but teachings regarding the history of the Heroes will be taught all together. I suppose I'll have to devise some sort of schedule…but anyhow, in your free time you are welcome to read books for yourselves or train with the weapons in the armory.

"Alright, one last thing I would like to stress. Your purpose in this world is to ensure a balance between the elements. Currently, Haishin is clearly a threat to this balance and threatens to conquer the entire land. Darkness brings suffering, and as Heroes, you cannot allow the people to suffer. The humans look to you as hope now. If anything, you must bring out their faith again, for without faith we _cannot_ win this war. We simply cannot."

Thalin had spoken quickly. He left the others blinking as they processed everything he had spoken. It was a difficult task, the Heroes knew this. Their responsibilities suddenly became great, but something within each Demigod had clicked. Kamora was their home, and it was the home of their families past, present, and to come. All of them held a motive to take up their place and fight in this war, for if they didn't, all they knew would crumble to ash. None of them wanted to be helpless…so they would fight. The Heroes knew at this moment, that they would have to find a way to destroy Haishin together, and they would deliver this land for all it is worth.

* * *

Haishin wandered the empty, abandoned streets of Ester. The city was destroyed. Ruined by his army of dark soldiers, who wasted no time flooding from Brimnack's gates to kill all knights in their path. Others had died too of course-shop keepers, mothers, and children-all who had the misfortune of being on the streets at that time. The air reeked with the stench of blood and decay, and though it was midday, there was barely any light shining through the smoke and ash in the atmosphere. Some of the buildings were still burning. The Dark Hero continued to walk…the buckles on his belt clanging with each step. His black eyes were gazing directly before him through furrowed, angry black brows. His thoughts were in a frenzy, swirling about his head in confusing images.

_She wouldn't have wanted this…._

Haishin growled. She was gone and it was all at the fault of that goddess! He would kill her…once she became mortal he would _kill_ her and her damned Heroes would die with her. Even Takuya…

_He looks just like her…_

The Dark Hero froze. He would not battle with himself about this, he would do his master's bidding and then all that was promised to him will make this worth it. It will be worth the pain and the damn betrayal. Well, _they_ betrayed _him_ and he must not forget it! All of them traitors…even her.

Suddenly, Makoto jogged out of the shadows and appeared to the Hero's side. Sweat drenched his clothes, while ash and soot coated his face. His dark eyes looked weary, and he found his bloodied sword heavy in his grip. At the sight of his general, Haishin steeled himself, appearing indifferent with only a small smirk upon his lips. "My lord, the rebel base has been abandoned. We found not a soul there, and the bodies of Akeno, his wife and daughter, Silos, and Kane's sons have not been accounted for," Makoto reported.

Haishin let out an annoyed breath. "Akeno and Silos are important, they will be rallying an organized opposition to my rule…but they cannot win. Not without the new Heroes," the Demigod explained. He stopped walking for a moment to give her general an intimidating stare, "You and Mai must find them. Take your Rogues and search every inch of Kamora if you have to."

"And once we find them?" Makoto inquired, fiddling with a ball of metal in his hands, morphing it with ease in to different shapes as he tried to avoid appearing uneasy under his master's venomous gaze.

"Study them. Identify them. And then kill the ones you can," Haishin smiled darkly before proceeding his walk through the barren streets.

* * *

_Sorry I don't have time to make a summary for this chapter right now, but here are some questions to think about_:

Who is this woman Haishin keeps thinking about?

and

What made Haishin become the Dark Hero he is?

_All will be answered soon enough, but stay tuned because next chapter we are jumping ahead a few months and TAKUMI WILL BE JUST AROUND THE CORNER :D_

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Thalin: Philosopher/Scholar who had dedicated his life to studying the Heroes.

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	15. Esper

_****__****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

_So this is sort of like the second part of the story :) This is the gate way to more Takumi! And I know how you all have been waiting patiently so thank you. Anyway, you are going to meet some new characters (some you may not like at first, but they'll grow on you. Trust me) and others that will just make matters worse and more confusing. Anywhooo, please enjoy! :D_

* * *

_**Chapter 14:  
**__Esper_

* * *

_Four Months Later…_

Esper liked Lightwell. This is where she grew up after all. She lived with her parents, was educated under the Elvish instruction, and preformed all duties asked of her. It was a sound life…too sound. Ever since she was young, the elven beauty itched for adventure-or anything spontaneous. If there was anything the elves were known for it was not for being impulsive. They blew to wherever the wind took them, following whatever path fate had laid out. The elves believed full-heartedly that destiny was not something to be controlled or changed, unless it was done so by the Gods. Esper was taught this all her life. Her parents would always say, "you were born for great things, sweetheart" or "fate smiles upon you, listen to what she says." Well, as far as Esper was concerned, her destiny was one of the most mysterious, unknown concepts in all of Kamora. Was she to be an elvish maid all her life? Stuck here practicing medicine or magic forever like her elders? She's already been stuck her for 67 years (which is still young for her kind). However, Esper feared that the monotony of her life would surely age her more rapidly if something were not to change…

But something did change. Four months ago, Lightwell had a visitor.

No doubt everyone in the village had been curious about the newcomer Kalin, the goddess herself, had brought. It was a spontaneous visit…and again, the elves are not known for being surprised. Even more alarming was that this visitor was none other than one of the new, prophesized Heroes. Murmuring ensued. It did not take long for Esper to know that he had been injured by a Razgol blade, and that Saki, one of the Elvish princesses, was tending to him. Even her return sparked rumors. One night, while Esper and her friends had been gathering herbs in the forest, Cora gushed about all she knew, for she had been chosen to assist Saki and look after the Hero.

"He is," she had said with a sigh, "the most handsome human I have ever seen. I did not believe they could grow to be so fair until I saw him."

"Did you speak to him at all?"

"Did you get his name?"

These were all questions asked by the maidens around her, but Esper stayed quiet, pretending to heed no interest though she was listening intently. Cora went on, smirking slightly at the leverage she held over her curious company. "His name is Takuya, Takuya Kanbara, I recall," she smiled, "and I have spoken to him. He is quite the gentleman."

Envy had surprised Esper at that moment. _Cora spoke to the Hero?_ She had questioned with slight disbelief and jealousy. Another maiden had gone on to ask about Takuya's features while Esper was still wheeling in her unwanted emotions.

And so, the next few days, the elven beauty thought of ways as to how she could run in to the Hero herself. Her success had come when she ran in to Cora taking new sheets in to the clinic to replace the old ones Takuya supposedly bloodied. Seeing as her friend was pressed for time for Saki had asked for her audience, Esper decided to take it upon herself to help her friend…with completely selfish reasons of course.

"I'll take the sheets for you," the amber-eyed elf proposed with a kind smile.

Cora, though reluctant, saw that she had no choice. "Thank you, Esper" she nodded and went off on her way.

And so, Esper went off happily and hopeful to see the Hero only to have her wishes come true. On that fateful day, she had met Takuya, just after he nearly killed himself. When he saw her, he had smiled politely, but even that small grin had sent her mind soaring. If there was anything Esper had learned that day, it was that Cora had not exaggerated. This man was exceedingly handsome, and she remember distinctively being caught in his warm, brown gaze…and the boyish look of his grin.

Within the next few weeks, while Kalin trained the Hero unrelentingly, Esper found herself running in to him more and more. And she was delighted to learn that he would be staying a while to complete his training with the Goddess. Within the first two months, Esper had actually even become friends with him. Takuya conversed with her naturally as if they had known each other for years. He spoke about his friends, his yearning to see them soon, and even a little bit of his past in the Liberation. Esper could not have been happier making an unexpected friend. It added color and excitement to a life she deemed tedious. The elven maid could not explain it, but she began to feel something for him…this Hero…he was kind, strong, and extremely courageous, she learned. However, at times she would catch him staring off in to the sky with a disheartened expression weighing upon his eyes, and she could sense his despondency. He was not always animated…especially during the days Kalin had frustrated him. After training, the Hero often returned with welts and bruises upon his face or body.

During the third month of his stay, Takuya had seemed to be improving significantly. Esper occasionally stopped by to watch him call upon his power with ease, hurling powerful fireballs at targets, hitting them accurately with no effort. She had noticed the color of his irises changed in to a fiery, golden color whenever he called upon his abilities. Kalin also had him spar with swords against a few elven warriors, who at first would defeat him constantly. Now, however, Takuya overcame them with no difficulty for his speed and agility had begun to heighten to rates the elves could not even keep up with. The goddess had been pleased…even Takuya held a content smile upon his face, but his eyes still revealed a dissatisfaction and the elven maid could sense an unknown want or lust emitting from him.

One night, fairly recently, when Takuya had been in one of his cheerless moods, Esper finally got the nerve to ask him what he was thinking about. To this day, she wished she hadn't.

Takuya had blushed. Scratching his cheek with a shy smile upon his face, he said, "On the night I snuck in to the palace, I had the fortunate coincidence of running in to Saki Orimoto's daughter…Izumi."

Esper's heart had immediately sunk. She watched as he continued to talk about her, explaining how he'd only known her for a short time, but could not stop thinking about her.

"I even dream about her," Takuya said, beaming just at the thought of his countess, "I miss her…probably more than I should. I hope to see her again…she's absolutely gorgeous, Esper! And exceedingly kind, I know you two would be good friends if you were ever to meet."

The elven beauty could hardly hear more…but she bore his words with a grin, laughing when he did. It wounded her more than she knew to hear him find happiness in a woman that was not her. But of course it was ridiculous, she had told herself, she was an elf…it would not have succeeded, correct? Esper hated how flustered he made her, and how easily he could hurt her without even trying.

Today, Esper sat recalling the last four months with a small smile on her face as she watched Takuya wield his powers with expertise as he trained; fire burning through his veins. He has grown, she noted, clapping after he finished off his targets. Takuya waved to her, smiling. He wiped the sweat forming on his brown with a rag Kalin gave him and then made his way over to Esper.

"So, what do you think?" he panted, recovering from the loss of energy caused by calling upon his powers.

"I think you grow seemingly faster every day," Esper pointed out with a smile of her own, "I cannot believe you even exceed the speed of my own kind."

"That is because speed and reflex is the special ability he's been gifted in addition to his powers," Kalin explained, satisfied, "it is a good ability to possess."

Takuya smirked. "I'm learning control more quickly than you thought I could, aren't I?"

Kalin exhaled loudly, furrowing her brow at his arrogant nature. "Yes, but you still have much to learn," the goddess said, "do not loose your head, young Hero."

"I just can't believe he's improved so much after only four months!" Esper exclaimed, but suddenly she wished she had kept her mouth closed for Kalin had begun to glare at her while Takuya's eyes clouded over in thought.

"Four months?" he mused, turning to the goddess, "it's already been that long?"

Kalin stayed silent. She merely nodded, trying to appear indifferent, for she knew what he would inquire next…It was the same query he's been asking since he's arrived.

"When shall I return to the others?" Takuya began, hopefulness rising in his throat, "surely I will see them soon? I must. The Heroes need to be together in order to destroy Nismai."

Kalin pressed her white lips together in frustration. Eventually she let out a sigh, "Takuya I need to speak to you alone."

Esper nodded understandingly as the two looked to her. She lifted herself from out of her seat and gracefully ambled away, sensing the tension in the air between the goddess and the Hero.

Kalin led Takuya out of the gardens and in to the cabin he had been allowed to stay in during his time here. The Hero of Flame raked a hand through his dark hair anxiously. However, he was frustrated, because the goddess never seemed to give any straight answers! For the past four months he had done all that was asked of him, but her vague responses needed to come to an end or surely he would go mad. Whenever Kalin would ask about his dreams, Takuya would tell her everything truthfully. He told her about the reoccurring dreams he had of that man Shin and his wife Hikari…and the other dream where he could not see anything, only hear the destruction and war all around and about the voice that pleaded with him not to make his mistake. He mentioned dreaming about Izumi once when really she was mostly what he saw in his sleep. However, never did the goddess elaborate on why she insisted hearing his dreams or what they meant. All thoughts, she kept to herself.

"Takuya," Kalin began, her pupiless eyes always distant, "you are still a long way from ever seeing your friends. It is not your destiny to fight with them for they have one job and you have another."

"What?!" Takuya immediately roared, but desperately tried to keep himself calm, "No, no, no, I've done all you asked! I know I have still much to learn but I hate this solitude, Kalin! Why can't I be with them and continued my training wherever they are? It doesn't make sense!"

"You must understand, you are different from them," she stated patiently.

"Different _how_! You never fully explain anything to me," he glared at her, folding his arms in from of his chest.

"Some secrets only do more harm than good."

"Stop that! Stop being cryptic with me," the Hero spat.

Kalin quieted, now growing weary. With each day she felt her power being drained and she no longer had the fight in her. With a heavy look, she proceeded carefully, "Are you sure you wish to know"

Her query surprised Takuya. Was she finally going to relinquish her mysteries? "Yes," he found himself saying firmly, nodding as if trying even to convince himself that he was ready.

Kalin ambled over to his bed, taking a seat to prepare herself for her explanation. "I told you before that you were born with your powers," she began, "and I told you that you were the Hero Haishin feared most of all, but…it was never to be you. You were never supposed to exist."

"What?" Takuya blinked, not quite following.

"Because the Gods are dying, we are loosing the power to keep fate in check. People are now changing their own paths, which is proving to be more problematic than I first thought," Kalin explained, "It all started with your grandmother…she was never to bear the child she did. Siezensha was never to be a part of fate's plan, and neither were you…what you are goes against everything that is a Hero."

"Please elaborate," Takuya pressed, fists clenched, "who was my grandmother? Why was it not expected that she bear a child?"

Kalin seemed to be debating whether or not to tell him, but the words poured out of her like water from a waterfall. "Your grandmother was Hikari, the lady Hero of Fire…and she was expected to have a child like most Heroes do, but…the child's father was not supposed to be who he was…-Takuya, it is not your destiny to go to your friends because it could ruin everything. All of this darkness will reoccur. History will repeat itself but instead of Haishin falling in love with a fellow Hero it could be you and-"

Kalin immediately stopped, before she said too much. She watched as Takuya looked at her with utter shock. "_Haishin_!" Takuya howled, his eyes darkening dangerously, "Hai_shin_ was Shin all along in my dreams? The Dark Hero is my grandfather?"

Kalin did not respond. Instead she glanced at the floor, shaking her head as if she regretted even telling him. Takuya felt tears welling up in his eyes. He fell to his knees in despair, clutching his face in his hands, repeating distressed, "Haishin is my grandfather?"

Kalin nodded numbly. She did not think she was supposed to tell him yet…Not knowing what else to do, the goddess continued gingerly. "Takuya, Hikari proved to be Haishin's weakness for I fear that he wanted more power to protect her, but when she died, it was all over. Haishin became the Dark Hero he is today, wanting nothing but power to avenge her. This cannot happen ever again."

"I cannot believe you kept this from me," he growled, pacing back and forth about the room as if at a loss for what to do. Both his hands gripped his hair in complete frustration. "Now I know why he fears me so much," Takuya muttered incredulously, "I understand…it's because I control two elements, is it not? I am a bearer of darkness as well."

"Yes, but I am not quite sure as to how much of it you can control…nor am I sure as to how easily you can call upon it. Because the ability is so raw and powerful, summoning such shadows along with your fire may kill you if you're not careful. You were bred mainly from fire. Your father tried summoning the darkness within him once, but he nearly died," Kalin tried to clarify, but Takuya was hardly listening, "I planned on helping you control both elements here in the months to come-"

"No! I'm staying here another minute. Kalin, I'm going to the Spiral Mountains, the others are going to need me," Takuya glowered, storming out of the room. The goddess did not have the strength to stop him. She watched him leave with a troubled visage.

"Awai, do not let him follow Haishin's path…may he never see such suffering, for he does not know what he does," Kalin prayed.

In a rage, Takuya made his way to the armory. He changed out of his tunic into a pair of black trousers and boots. He then slipped in to a sleeveless, red leather jerkin (or vest), decorated with black accents, securing the four straps so that the clothing fit him well across the chest. Takuya scanned the wall of weapons, finding the sword he used for training, which was an elvish sword with a grip wrapped in black leather and silver wire and a blade made of the purest steel engraved with intricate designs. He placed the sword in its scabbard and tied the weapon around his black belt. He then grabbed a short bow made of red oak along with a quiver full of arrows, slinging them both across his back. Finally, he attached black, leather cuffs on his wrists to give him more support and tied a matching hooded-cape around his neck.

Just as he was about to make my leave, Esper moved out of the shadows and in front of the entrance. She was dressed in trousers herself, and a black, leather bodice over a white chemise. Her copper hair hung loosely around her shoulders in a casual manner, and Takuya noticed that attached to her belt was a sword of her own and on her back hung a long bow. "Where do you think you're going?" he inquired, surprised yet slightly amused.

"With you," she answered shortly, her lips pressed in to a stubborn line, "Kalin told me you were heading to the Spiral Mountains. Now, if I stay stuck here in Lightwell for even one more day I just may kill myself, so I'm going to help you find your friends."

"That's not necessary," he sighed, irritation bubbling in his throat.

"Without me, you will not no which way is up," she scoffed, tying a black cape around herself, "Come, I'll lead you to the forest floor and show you where we keep our horses."

Takuya was too tired to argue with her. He just needed to get out of this dwelling. Despite Kalin's heeds of warning and her refusal to let him go, deep down Takuya knew he must. He knew his friends would need him, and he must protect Izumi. For some reason, the time apart from her only made his feelings for her grow stronger. He did not know why he felt this way, or what exactly it was that he was feeling, but there sense of urgency when it came to his countess. In fact, he believed it was his destiny to guard her, and save her somehow. He now remembered…Kalin told him too herself once in a dream during his time in Ester…well, whether she liked it or not, he would obey the goddess. Izumi was his, and his alone, to protect.

* * *

The spring air was crisp and cool; beautiful really. The sun was shining brightly overhead, but the rays of light were weak, bringing not too much heat though just enough. Izumi regarded the weather through closed eyes and a content sigh, but suddenly remembered she was not out here mediating with Thalin for the fun of it, she was training. Calling upon the spirit of wind, she learned, took patience, a clear mind, but mostly faith. In the beginning, Izumi discovered she still held many reservations about her power. Thalin had to teach all the Heroes how imperative it was to have faith, but with Izumi he had to stress a _clear_ mind even more. She found that her mind seemed to always be running rampant, and at the beginning of her training, the countess struggled to focus on one thing at a time. With practice, of course, the ability to summon her power almost came naturally, though Thalin still insists she mediate with him in the morning until it becomes second nature. Izumi found the process relaxing, so she never objected. Also, in such a still state, it was easy for her to use the ability gifted to her in addition to her spirit. The countess stilled, inhaled deeply and listened.

_We are here…you grow stronger, sister…_

And there it was. Faint, but unmistakable. When she first heard the voice of the wind, Izumi had been alarmed, bemused even. She never imagined that such elements could speak, but Thalin insists that everything on this planet has a voice, which only certain people could hear. All the Heroes were surprise when he had mentioned this to them-except for Roran, who look extremely relieved. It turned out the rebel had been hearing voices as well, so he was thankful to know that he was not going crazy. In fact, Roran's special ability interested Izumi, for he could hear the thoughts of animals and trees, though he mentioned that the plants do not speak as much. He had told her it was a nuisance to hear so many thoughts (the squirrels were apparently the worst), but with Thalin's help, he managed to learn how to suppress them at his own will. The Hero of Wood also leaned how to control the plants and limbs of the trees with ease.

_Someone approaches from behind…_

The wind's voice snapped Izumi out of her thoughts and a small smirk appeared upon her red lips. She suddenly waved her hand behind her, causing a powerful gust of wind to blow and knock Kouichi right off his feet.

He landed on the floor with a loud thud. "Izumi," he groaned, rubbing his backside, "Will I never be able to sneak up on you again?"

_I suppose not,_ she quips, sending her thoughts to him as the wind continued to blow, but much more gently now.

"Urgh, stop that! You know it unsettles me when you do that mind stuff," the knight complained, glowering at the countess as he pushed himself back up to his feet.

"And that's exactly why I do it," she teases, but the statement was not entirely true…only quite recently did Izumi and Thalin realize she could also use the wind to communicate her thoughts to other people, and ever since she had been having quite fun with this ability. Sending secret messages to Carmen had them both giggling at the dinner table, usually at the sight of their friends being so flustered with their one sided conversations. At first, though she had to be careful as to what she thought for she could not always control as to what reached others, but it was easy to master in time.

"Alright, I see you've had enough training for this morning," Thalin smiled, slightly amused, "but what brings you here, Kouichi?"

The knight shrugs. "I was bored…"

"Ah, well, that is most interesting," the philosopher mutters sardonically, stretching his arms and legs out of their meditative position. "Seeing as you two have nothing to do at the moment, do you mind going to fetch Tomoki for me? He's next on my list for this morning."

"Alright," Izumi nodded with a smile, pushing herself to her feet. She brushing away the dirt from her green, velvet dress with bell sleeves and a trimmed gold belt tied loosely around her waist, which matched the trim of her neckline. During their second or third day of their stay, Thalin had remarked to the Heroes that the goddess had been kind enough to provide them with clothing that had already been hung neatly in the dressers of each room. Izumi remembered being delighted by the news. Sporting trousers every day could really be rather dull…and she did not feel most comfortable in them like Carmen. But of course, when Izumi tried to get Carmen in to a lovely, casual, velvet blue dress, the rebel leader refused with the hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"Ah, here he is," Kouichi murmurs, bringing Izumi back in to the present, "figures he'd be here."

The countess giggles at the comment. They had travelled to the archery range, where Carmen and Tomoki were practicing with their bows, though the ranger needed no practice. He was hitting the red target every time without fail, one arrow cutting through the other. Not only had Tomoki begun to control his ability to form and handle the element of ice, but the bandit realized he had developed a sharp eye; the sharpest really. He now never missed a single shot with his bow, and he had become quite fond of his new ability. Even from great distances he would hit the mark perfectly. Tomoki often challenged his friends to competitions, which at first they would accept, but the more the ranger won, the less anyone wanted to compete against him.

"Hello you two," Carmen smiled, greeting Kouichi and Izumi as they approached, "who does Thalin need now?"

"Tomoki, actually," Izumi says, pointing towards the Hero of Ice, who looked up at her.

With his icy gaze still on her, he released the arrow he had already set up in position and it hit the red target with usual flawlessness. He beamed, "Did you see that? Damn, I shall never get used to this."

Izumi watched Kouichi roll his eyes, sensing a bit of his jealousy. "Nothing we haven't seen before," the knight groused with a small smirk, "Say, have you seen my brother?"

"Yes, he, Junpei, and Davis are sparring near the lake," the ranger replied before walking over to the target in order to gather his arrows, placing them back in his quiver. He then went off to speak to Thalin after a quick wave goodbye to everyone.

Suddenly, a large, grey cloud began to form over head, and the soft rumbling of thunder could be heard faintly coming from it. "Uh-oh," Carmen groaned, "someone has already made Junpei angry…"

Izumi sighed. This had also become typical with the Hero of Thunder. His ability to control the weather, as well as lightning, still needs to know more control. Out of all of them, Junpei is probably the Demigod who needs the most work on separating his emotions from his powers. At times it was amusing however, for the dark clouds mostly appeared when he lost a sparring match and the giveaway would embarrass him. Izumi giggled slightly at the sound of Kouji and Junpei arguing. As she, Carmen, and Kouichi draw closer to them, the countess sees Davis standing in between the two sparring Heroes, trying to push them away from each other.

Junpei is livid. "That was a cheap shot, Minamoto!" he huffed, throwing his sword to the ground, "we said no kicking! Dammit!"

Kouji rolls his eyes. "The rule is ridiculous and you know it. Any opponent is going to kick you when they get the chance!"

"Look, sometimes I would prefer to focus on a different style of combat without having to worry about what you're doing with your legs."

"Well, clearly that different style of combat was not doing you much good if you could not prevent me from kicking you to the floor," Kouji smirked, folding his arms coolly in front of his chest.

"Gentlemen, please," Davis groaned, now struggling to keep Junpei at bay. When he sees Izumi and the others approach, he exhales with relief, "Oh, thank the Gods you've arrived,"

"Junpei, please take the cloud away," Izumi asks politely, longing for the sunlight again. She points to the sky trying to suppress an amused smile.

At her bidding, Junpei sighs, but immediately settles down. The thunderous cloud disappears within seconds. Kouji looks up at her, eyes soft and relaxed-he seemed much more at ease lately…they all did, Izumi noted, but she knew that soon that would all change. Their responsibilities were great, and unfortunately they could not stay in this hidden paradise forever despite their possible wish to. Of course, to Izumi, something-or someone-in this oasis was missing.

Still she dreamed of Takuya…but nightmares had also come to haunt her. The night terrors were not always about him, but about her friends or Haishin as well. Izumi would wake with a start. She would find herself yearning for a comfort she knew was no where to be found. It left her angry and frustrated. She did not wish to need anything or anyone…she hoped that in time she would learn to be strong and independent, like Carmen. But still, a pair of warm, chocolate brown eyes deprived her of that freedom, and the countess had no idea as to why.

"Guys!" Izumi and the others turn to see Tomoki running towards them, waving his hands, "Kalin is here! She has something important to tell everyone."

Immediately, everyone took off for the cottage. Izumi noted that the goddess did not visit often, for she had said that she trains Takuya. Was Takuya here now? Did Kalin bring him? These were questions all running through the head of the countess, however, she was soon disappointed. Kalin had come alone. She and Thalin sat conversing quietly, furiously whispering at the end of the dining room table. As the Heroes piled inside, they stopped. Thalin bolted out of his chair with an angry huff and paced the room in frustration.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked Kalin crisply with irritation evident in his tone.

_What is going on?_ Izumi thought to Thalin, who ignored her, leaving the room after the goddess shook her head.

"Is everything alright, Kalin?" Roran inquired, his sandy blonde hair damp from just bathing.

The goddess pursed her lips. "Not quite," she responded with a heavy sigh. She began rubbing her temples as if unsure how to go about a new subject of conversation. After a few awkward moments of silence, Kalin finally continued, "It's been a while, I trust everything is all right?"

Carmen rolled her eyes at the standard conversation starter. "There's something you're not telling us," the rebel leader points out, glowering with impatience, "might as well get it out of the way."

Kalin's lips pulled in to a deep frown. "Takuya's gone missing," she utters gravely and the rooms goes silent after a collective gasp.

Izumi swore her heart stopped in that moment. She clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from crying out until she regained her composure. Besides her, Davis' eyes went wide with shock. His mouth hung agape wordlessly, until he shook his head to focus as he asked, "What do you mean missing? He's been kidnapped?"

"No," the goddess shook her head in a slow, grim manner, "he ran away."

"Ran away?" Roran exclaimed, completely perplexed, "Why! Where is he going?!"

Kalin merely shrugged. "I do not know why…"

_She lies…_, Izumi shudders at the sound of the wind's voice, _She know why he leaves…_

Why would the goddess lie about that? Izumi questioned with uncertainty.

"He is not alone, however. He is accompanied by an elvish maiden," Kalin explains, and each word is like a dagger in to the heart of the countess, "we do not know where they are heading or why they chose to leave…all I do know is that Takuya struggles to come to terms with who he is as a Hero. Hopefully, he will be back soon and is not captured by Haishin or his men."

"That bloody idiot," Kouji scoffs.

Izumi could take this no longer. Swiftly, she runs to her room and slams the door before burying her face within her pillow. Her tears run freely down her cheeks, much to her confusion and discomfort. Why should what Takuya does effect her so much? Why does her heart feel ripped out of her chest? Who was this maiden he left with? Perhaps it was his lover…they probably ran away together to escape his responsibilities…How selfish! Izumi growls, pounding her fist in to her bed. "That ass, how dare he abandon his friends!" she sobbed quietly.

Izumi hated him. She hated that fool for breaking her heart without even trying-and for leaving them to defeat Haishin alone. He was a selfish coward.

* * *

_Brief Chapter Summary:_

Four months go by and a lot has clearly changed. We learn more about the character of Esper, and more about Takuya's past. Haishin turns out to be Takuya's _grandfather_ NOT father. Anyway, so Takuya is angry with Kalin for keeping this from him so he and Esper leave Lightwell because the Hero is tired of being separated from his friends (specifically Izumi).

Meanwhile, all is well in the Spiral Mountains until Kalin brings news of Takuya's runaway act. She makes it seem that he has left the group for good...but why? Well, anyway, Izumi is now pissed off because she thinks Takuya has abandoned his responsibilities...and especially her.

Questions to think about: Why is Kalin so worried about Takuya being with the others? Why did the goddess make it seem like he ran away? Did Haishin really want to protect Hikari or did he have other reasons? Why did Haishin kill all the other Heroes in the first place?

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Thalin: Philosopher/Scholar who had dedicated his life to studying the Heroes.

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	16. The Fool Returns

_****__****__****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

* * *

_**Chapter 15:  
**__The Fool Returns_

* * *

_One month later…_

"How on earth did we manage to already finish the meat?" Thalin inquires, staring down in to the empty jars while scratching his balding head, "I just don't understand…"

"We happen to be very hungry people," Davis smirks as he and Junpei rub their satisfied stomachs. They had managed to find the hidden pot of dried meat and the rest was over…there were no survivors. "Say, didn't Kouichi just recently go hunting, too?"

"Yes, that's what I am saying!" the philosopher sighed with exasperation, "He went hunting yesterday and you two have already managed to devour an entire mountain deer! I hope you're happy…"

"You idiots, now we aren't going to have any meat for our stew," Carmen groaned. She and Izumi had come to the doorway. The countess was thoroughly amused, while the rebel leader was tired of eating vegetables for dinner. "I was so looking forward to eating something other than celery," the brunette continued to pout.

"I'll go hunting today," Izumi smiled, happy to gather some more food for tonight.

"Oh, don't worry about, really," Carmen mutters, now feeling guilty, "I shall save my appetite for another day."

"No, honestly, I'd love to go out today," the countess gives her friend another reassuring smile, "and I could use some meat tonight as well. I'll be back shortly."

"Very well," Thalin says, "be careful."

Izumi nods before leaving quickly out the front door. She slung her bow and quiver across her back and sauntered over to the valley exit. Jumping in to the shallow end of the river, she makes her way upstream, and past the first curtain of plants, which leads her in to the cavern. The countess was happy she had decided to sport trouser and boots this morning. It kept her warmer in the cool, spring air than a dress would have. Soon, she comes to the end of the tunnel and steps in to the forest clearing once again. It was not the first time she's left the valley, for she had gone hunting with Carmen before, but it had been a while. Izumi was content to get away from others for now…ever since Kalin had come a month ago, Thalin intensified their training. It had overwhelmed Izumi at first, but now…she was finally starting to grow accustomed to it. Some fresh air always helped, however.

She wandered about the forest for ten minutes or so, not going too far, before actually starting to attempt hunting. _To the right…_Izumi turned, and there, about twenty yards away grazed a good-size, wild hog. "Perfect," she muttered, reaching for an arrow, and placing it gracefully in to the nook of her bow. She took a deep, steadying breath and pulled back the string. She stood with expert steadiness and strength. In the next second, she released. Her arrow flew straight and true, right in to the heart of her prey. The hog died instantly, falling over in a loud thud. With a small smirk, Izumi lowered her weapon. She was about to make her way to the animal when-

_Someone approaches…_

Before she could react, a deep, familiar voice came from behind her. "That was a good shot," he said, a grin in his tone.

Izumi spun around so quickly her golden hair whipped out of its loose bun, falling gloriously over her shoulders, past her breasts. She gasped-there he was.

Takuya stood there, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. A shy smile was plastered on to his perfectly handsome face. She flushed at the sight of him. He certainly looked older…his dark, auburn hair had grown longer. It reached just above his thick brows in the front, stopping just at his earlobes on the sides, and stretched halfway down his neck in the back in its unruly waves. Some locks were sticking out on the top; Izumi struggled against her will to soothe them down. A very short beard had begun to grow along his jaw line, giving him an edgier, more rugged look, which only added to his impossibly handsome appearance. Izumi also could not help but notice how muscular he had gotten…surely his arms were not that big before were they? Still, he was not a brute, but indeed his training had only done him good.

She stood there, mouth agape at the sight of him. But Takuya did not seem to mind for he was too busy eyeing her intently as well. He had never seen her in such an outfit, with only a short chemise and black bodice covering her torso. He struggled not to note the way her breasts slightly swelled over the fabric. Finally, he met her startling, emerald gaze. "Long time no see, huh?" he muttered, almost breathlessly.

Izumi blinked. What on earth…? "What the hell are you doing here?" she snapped, completely taken back, "Where on earth have you been!?"

Takuya froze. He was not anticipating this reaction. Shaking his head, he tried to muster up something to say. "I was in Lightwell," he began quietly, unsure about how much she knew.

"No, you left Lightwell didn't you?" Izumi growled, running a hand through her hair in completely rage, "Where have you been the last _month_, Takuya!? Kalin told us you ran away! Do you know how worried everyone was? What the _hell_ were you thinking! Running away like that!" She stopped, for suddenly she remember he had not run away alone. She furiously clenched her jaw, wondering what she should say next.

"Whoa, Izumi!" Takuya raised his voice, trying to understand everything, "Kalin told you I ran away, but she didn't tell you where I was going?"

"No," the countess snarled, turning sharply away from him and fuming towards her kill.

"Izumi, wait!" Takuya called after her, cursing under his breath. In a flash, he grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him. Izumi tried prying herself away from his grip but blushed furiously when she realized he had her pinned to his chest. She looked up and immediately wished she hadn't for their faces were only centimeters away. "Do you want an explanation, or not?" he asked slowly, trying to keep his temper down.

"Yes," she scowled, averting his gaze. "Why did you run away?"

"I ran away to come here," he whispered earnestly, instinctively pushing one of her blonde locks back behind her ear. His touch along her cheek sent a shiver down Izumi's spine. She cursed to herself. "And I wanted to see you," he added with a meek smile, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks while he shyly began to rub the back of his neck.

At that moment, Izumi could have pushed up and kissed him right there, but she restrained herself, practically gasping at how weak this man really made her. She turned away sharply, hoping he did not see the way his beautiful, warm gaze effected her. She wanted to still be angry with him, she did not want to feel like this…especially after five months. "What you did, Takuya…" Izumi shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around the last few minutes, "…it was stupid-and selfish. We were all so worried about you…What made you leave?"

Takuya glanced down uneasily. He was about to respond until a new figure appeared from the thicket. Esper came in to the scene, and Izumi's gaze instantly narrowed toward the elven beauty. "Takuya, how many times do I have to tell you to _slow down_! I can hardly keep-," she stopped upon seeing Izumi practically in his arms. She tried playing a smile upon her pink lips, but it was a faltering one. "What's going on?"

Much to Izumi's chagrin, Takuya did not let go of her, so she tore herself away from him sneering. "Nothing, in fact, he was just leaving," she grumbled, picking up the dead hog by its hind legs, "sorry I kept him from you."

"Izumi," Takuya groaned with irritation, why was this girl so stubborn? "I don't think you heard me right. I'm here to finish my training with you and the others. I couldn't take being in Lightwell without you all."

The countess growled. He was pouting…and it was adorable, in the gods' name she hated this man. "Come, I'll show you the way," she muttered. She wasn't going to just leave him here…

It was an awkward trek. The three of them were completely silent as Izumi led them through the waterfall and in to the valley. As they neared the cottage, Roran, Davis, and Carmen spotted them from the archery range. The men sprinted full speed towards Takuya upon seeing him, wide grins stretched across their faces. Carmen wore a look of incredibility.

"Takuya! What the hell!?" Davis laughed, tackling his friend to the floor, "Where on earth had you run off too? You bloody fool! I knew you'd be back! I just knew it!"

"Davis, give him some room to speak!" Carmen exclaimed, watching in horror as Takuya's face had gone practically blue from the rebel's embrace.

"I came here to train with you guys," Takuya grunted, a wide, boyish grin across his face, "Sorry I scared you, but I had to get here."

"No worries, I knew there was some explanation," Roran smirked.

Izumi watched the scene, suddenly feeling guilty. How were his friends not mad? How come they had so much faith in him and his decision? She observed through a gloomy gaze, looking up to only examine the elf…his 'friend.' Why did she have to be so beautiful?

"Glad to have you back, Takuya," Carmen said shortly, "it's good to know you didn't abandon us after all." While saying the last part, she looked to Izumi, who only blushed and looked away.

True…he did not forsake his friends as she had originally thought…but it was still foolish to suddenly leave without telling anyone!

"And who are you?" Davis inquired to the elf, giving her a friendly smile which made Izumi's blood boil.

"Oh, this is Esper," Takuya introduced happily, "Esper, this is Davis, Carmen, Roran, and that's Izumi."

"A pleasure to meet you all," she said kindly.

Suddenly, Izumi felt extremely weary. With a heavy sigh, she took the hog in to the kitchen and made her way to her room, wishing for the first time to get away from Takuya.

Back outside, the Hero of Fire watched the countess go with disappointment in his gaze. He angrily wondered what her problem was. Turning back to the scene at hand, Takuya noticed Carmen watching him with slight irritation. _What have I done to make all the women mad at me?_ He thought sullenly. "What?" he snapped under her fierce stare.

"Give her some time, Takuya," Carmen groaned, not appreciative of his attitude, "we all thought you had abandon us and you responsibilities when you ran away-or, I knew there had to be something more, but-"

"Kalin didn't tell you I was coming here?" Takuya inquired with exasperation.

Before the rebel leader could respond, Tomoki appeared. His icy stare scrutinized Takuya carefully before turning to Carmen, asking, "Who's this?"

"Takuya," she muttered before turning ace to her comrade, "and no, Kalin did not tell us you were coming here. She said she had no idea where you were going or why you left."

"Really?" Takuya chuckled dryly, shaking his head, "She knew perfectly well I was coming here and why. She just did not like the idea."

"Wait, so he didn't run away after all?" Tomoki interrupted, completely bemused.

"No, he did not," Esper assured, stepping towards Takuya, but she faltered under the ranger's gaze. Tomoki blinked, at first thinking that she must have been a dream. "Um, we left Lightwell to come train here. The fact Kalin says otherwise makes me worry," the elven maid states, oddly nervous all of a sudden.

"I'm Tomoki," the ranger announces rather abruptly in a strange manner that even made Carmen jump and give him a suspicious glower.

Takuya shakes his hand firmly, while Esper gives him her hand so that the ranger may kiss the back of it.

"Anyway, I think we need to take you to see Thalin, and eventually the others," Carmen states, rolling her eyes.

"Wait, can I speak to Izumi first? Quickly?" Takuya pleads, but the rebel leader is quick to shake her head.

"Give her some time," came Thalin's voice. He had just stepped out of the cottage, his old eyes blinking in order to adjust to the bright daylight. "Takuya, I see you've made it here safely. A word with you, please."

The Hero of Fire shifts uneasily before nodding once. _I'm really going to get it now,_ Takuya thought, sighing under the philosopher's disapproving gaze. He follows Thalin in to the large cottage and inside his study. The philosopher closes the door and walks slowly to sit in to his chair, which sat behind a large, cluttered mahogany desk.

They sat silently for a moment or two, while Thalin drummed his fingers along the surface of the desk. He examined the Hero carefully, through a weary stare. "So where are your horses?" he finally asks, scratching his grey beard.

"We set them free." Takuya said simply, though he had no idea where this conversation was going. "We knew we were close yesterday, and they were beginning to grow weak. We travelled light, however so I do not have any bags," he rambled, but he felt the need to elaborate.

"And your reason for leaving Lightwell was to come train with me?" Thalin inquired, though he was not paying much attention to the conversation. Instead, he seemed lost in his own thoughts.

"Um, yes," Takuya stammered. They sat silently for a few more minutes until the Her decided to speak again, "What did Kalin tell you, sir?"

"Everything," he stated calmly, still lost in his own mind. Another minutes passes…"I hope you know what you're doing, but I still do not think you understand the gravity of this situation…however, people learn best through their mistakes. I only hope that yours will not cost the life of another."

Takuya was at a loss. He had no idea what the old man meant by that.

"Come, I shall show you and your friend, Esper, to your new rooms."

* * *

For the past four months soon became the darkest in all of Kamora history. The death toll rose to new heights as the innocent were carelessly slaughtered if they stood in the path of the Dark Hero. The survivors became oppressed by the new invading soldiers. The first kingdom to fall had been Aernal, the one to the east. The defending army did not stand a chance without their king and general. Haishin's dark forces over took them completely in only two months. After this conquest, the Dark Hero turned his gaze to the south. However, a new army had formed.

The armies for the kingdom of Awai had been split in two. One half followed Kane, joining Haishin's forces, while the other half were exiled, only to be found by their lost king Silos. Silos and Akeno then combined their armies and marched to the southern border where Haishin was to attack next. Within the third month, the battle for Renai began and the Dark Hero was surprised that he could not penetrate the new army so easily. For weeks the skirmishes ended in deadlocks; soldiers were killed by the hundreds.

Silos grew uneasy. He knew Haishin held more soldiers in his command, but for some reason he was not using them yet. So the old king had formed a new query; _What was Haishin waiting for?_

This is were Takashi and Kyoya come in to play. The two promising, young knights had been called in to Silos' tent after a long day of bloodshed. "Haishin is hiding something, but we have no way of knowing what that is," the old king had said, scratching his long beard in aggravation, "I have a dangerous mission for you both, I am sending you to Bethel to act as my spies."

So here they were, a couple weeks later, scurrying about the streets of Bethel, the capital of the northern kingdom. The trip up had been treacherous and the two had been nearly caught a dozen of times, but now they were here. The city was dark and barren. Few people wandered the streets and most of them were beggars. The grey-stoned castle was the only glorious thing about the entire city, for all the buildings here were falling apart brick by brick. Around the castle was an immense wall over 50 feet tall. It was impressive…surrounding about half an acre of land. Behind the castle was the cause of the dark skies. Three towers reached up high in to the sky letting out black fumes.

"What on earth could that be?" Kyoya queried, glancing at the billowing waste, "I've never seen anything like it."

Takashi observed the black gates of the castle with a weary eye, "There's no way we are going to get through,"

Kyoya only scratched his chin to think. Glancing about the town, he spotted a tall, rundown clock tower. It stood high above the surrounding buildings, nearly as tall as the castle itself. "Perhaps we need not to go in to the castle," he mused, his brown eyes darting from the castle to the clock, "look, that tower is located behind the castle. If we can get to the top of it, we could look down and see what is going on in the back."

"Sounds like it's worth a shot," Takashi mumbled, already tired enough as it is. Running a hand through his copper hair, he nodded, "Come, let's go."

They drew up their black hoods and started for the old tower, avoiding soldiers along the way. Their capes concealed the sword that hung heavily from their belts, but their clothes overall appeared to be ragged and worn from the long days of travelling, so they blended in well. Half way to the structure, Kyoya begins to glance about the skies. "Where is Striker?"

"Perched up there," Takashi replies, motioning his head towards a crumbling building to their left. There on the roof sat a large, brown hawk with a very small, leather cylinder strapped to its back.

"Signal for him to stay close, we want to be able to send a message to the king if something come up," Kyoya orders.

Rolling his eyes, Takashi sends out a low whistle catching the bird's attention. He then points a finger to the sky and draws a circle in the air. Immediately, the hawk takes off, flying high in to the clouds, and begins circling them up ahead. The two spies then proceeded, reaching the clock tower within the next ten minutes.

The building was empty. Abandoned. The front entrance was barricaded by hammered on planks of old wood, which Takashi easily kicked down. Inside was nothing but a long spiral staircase made up of wood too old for comfort. And so began the treacherous climb. Each step creaked and shifted under their weight. An hour went by and still the two had not reached the top after traversing through flights and flights of stairs. Panting and heaving, they made their way through the final stretch.

"I see the top," Takashi wheezed. He led the way past the final steps and finally collapsed against the cold, stone wall after reaching the top room. Pale light flooded in from various windows. The ceiling continued upward, forming a pointed roof. The room was very large; no doubt to hold all of the mechanics of the clock, which, when in use, would be manually operated. Also, in the center was a sizeable, brass bell. It would have been struck at noon every day.

"Over here," Kyoya called. He had already begun to climb a rusted ladder leading upward to an opening in the ceiling.

"That can't be safe," Takashi mused, but followed suit.

Kyoya easily punched through the old wood and was met by a strong, cool wind. He pulled himself and then his partner up on to the roof. The two crawled on all fours closer to the edge to get a better look at the castle. "Damn, you can see everything from here," Kyoya muttered, gazing all about the city.

"Look, the castle grounds…" Takashi indicated, but soon was at a loss for words, for hundreds upon hundreds of knights were assembled already in line and in full uniform. They were training, it seemed, for they were all taking turns to fire upon target manikins made of hay. "What are they firing?"

The two watched, spines chilled as something dark and unexplained came out of the hands of the soldiers, obliterating their targets. Servants were quick to replace them before the next knight took his shot.

"They are using dark magic…" Kyoya paled. He then glanced at the odd towers giving off the black fumes. They were attached to an unusual square building near the end of the castle grounds. His brown eyes followed a group of different, out of line soldiers marching in to the structure almost reluctantly, but the commanders about were quick to whip any who were taking too long. These knights, he noted, were not dressed in the black armor of the north, but instead bore the green markings of the west. "Haishin…he's doing something to those men…" Kyoya mused in horror.

"I bet you he's the one who's given his soldiers some sort of dark magic," Takashi groaned, "we have to find out what the hell is going on in that building, because that is where he's doing it. How on earth can a Hero give other Hero powers, do they do that? Silos would know. Damn, I wish I had paid attention to those stories…"

"Only Kalin gives the Heroes they power," Kyoya snapped, "it should be impossible for Haishin to form more like him."

"Well, it _should_ be impossible that the Heroes exist in the first place, but nothing seems quite impossible anymore does it?"

"This is it," Kyoya suddenly realized, "this is what Haishin has in store for us. He is trying to create an army of these dark knights…you know I think they are the ones who stormed the castle at Ester, for I remember hearing that none of them seemed to die."

"So he's been waiting until he had enough of these dark knights to fully attack," Takashi grasped gravely. Taking out a piece of parchment paper and a quill from his pocket, he began to scribble a message detailing their discoveries. He gave out a high whistle and the hawk appeared instantly. It perched itself upon Kyoya's shoulder. Takashi opened the cylinder and slipped the message in.

The bird then hopped on to the copper-haired spy's forearm awaiting further instruction. "To Silos," he nodded.

The hawk then opened its wings and flew in to the dark skies.

* * *

Her hair had grown longer, he was sure of it. Takuya followed the way her gold locks cascaded in soft waves and curls pasts her breasts. Also, the permanent flush on her cheeks was more evident now that she had been in the sunlight more often, and it only added to her perfection, Takuya thought. He had been stealing glances at her all night as dinner proceeded rather awkwardly. The knights were all stiff due to the new Hero's presence, and Izumi was constantly shifting uneasily in her chair. Kouji watched Takuya carefully, suspiciously. He seethed silently with rage whenever the rebel even looked at the countess. The commander did not trust him.

Meanwhile, Izumi struggled to keep her stark, green eyes away from him. It was harder than she could've imagined and seeing Esper sitting casually next to him made her blood boil. Another thing she found irritating was how normally the rebels were conversing with their comrade. Even Tomoki seemed not to have a problem with the Hero of Fire, in fact, he rather appeared to love Takuya already. The ranger laughed at all of the rebel's quips and witty remarks during Roran's stories of their adventures without him. Even Izumi had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at one of Takuya's jibes. _So not only is he impossibly handsome, he's funny too,_ she thought with frustration, a frown forming on her lips.

Esper was playing a light countenance quite well, however, inside she seemed to be going mad with confusion. Why on earth was it so silent on the other half of the table? Kouichi, Junpei, Kouji, and the countess picked at their meat with little words. And Takuya was not acting like himself; sure he was doing a good job conversing normally with his old friends, but he was upset. She could sense it, and Esper learned that when she could sense any sort of emotion from Takuya something was very wrong. Over the last month he had done some of his own training strengthening his mind. It was not long until the elven maiden could not sense the slightest feeling from the rebel, for he had learned to steel his emotions against her abilities. No one has ever been able to do such a thing, but Takuya always hated that she knew what he felt, for he thought it an invasion of privacy.

The elf followed his gaze as he watched Izumi carefully with a regretful expression. Esper growled to herself, of course it would be that woman. The countess makes him weak minded, she thought bitterly. But the maiden could not help admire Izumi herself. The countess' beauty was indeed everything Takuya described and more. She had never seen such a beautiful, human woman-but of course, Izumi was not all human, the elf reminded herself.

"So why did you come down here too?" Esper heard the ranger inquire, snapping her attention back to the conversation. She was surprised to find that his icy, blue gaze was actually quite warm in a way.

She couldn't help but return his charming smile with one of her own. "Lightwell was becoming quite monotonous," she began quietly, the two now engrossed in their own discussion apart from the others, "you see, the elves there do the same thing, the same job everyday to no end. I longed for something…"

"Different," he finished, nodding with understanding. "I'm glad you came,"

He spoke that last sentence with such sincerity, Esper could not help but blush.

As the minutes went by, Izumi could not bear any of this much longer. She had hardly eaten and it became burdening to sense the tension in the air. Also, the countess was still angry with Takuya for he had abandoned them…

_Or maybe you think he abandoned you…_

Izumi suppressed a growl, who knew the damn wind could be so irritating. She shot up abruptly to close a nearby window, which had let in the slight, night breeze. Once the countess was up, she sighed, deciding she might as well go to bed. It had been an exhausting day. Silently, she grabbed her plate and made her way over to the kitchen in order to place it in the sink. Coming back in to the dining room, Kouichi gave her a concerned glance.

"Are you already going to bed?" he inquired, causing Takuya's warm eyes to shoot up at her without even trying to be discreet.

Izumi tried not to flush under his stare. What on earth did this man do to her? She felt as if she were naked under his gaze. "Yes," she responded quickly and quietly, averting Takuya's eyes.

Kouichi stood up, travelling over to her, and place a hand gently upon her forehead. "Are you feeling alright," he whispered, "you do not look well. Would you like me to get you anything?"

Izumi raised her eyebrow, bemused. He was standing very close to her. She wondered why Kouichi was being so bold, but then again, they had been friends since birth and was always looking out for her. Of course he could be overbearing at times, but his concern was always appreciated. However, during these past few months Izumi had learned to take care of herself. She was more powerful than Kouichi, she knew this, but she knew it made him feel better to try and help. Eventually, the countess shook her head, taking his hand in hers, moving it off of her head. "I'm fine, just tired," she assured with a wry smile. With that she retired.

Takuya watched Kouichi and Izumi through narrowed, suspicious eyes. He shifted restlessly after she had left and attempted to avoid glaring at the knight, who had been bold enough to touch her. Jealousy seared through his veins. He wanted to touch her…to be close to her. Why on earth was she so upset with him? He came here to help them. He had to explain.

Standing up, Takuya yawns announcing, "I am going to my bed as well. It has been quite a long day of travelling." He gave the table a charismatic grin.

The rebels, Tomoki, and Esper all bid him a goodnight while the knights stayed silent, not even looking up at him. He took his plate to the kitchen and then started towards the hallway of rooms. He quickly found Izumi's room, which was the only one with the door closed and the light on. Takuya noted it was only two doors from his quarters at the end of the hall. The Hero raised his hand to knock on the door. He hesitated.

What if she didn't want to see him? What if the way he felt about her was certainly _not_ the way she felt about him? The thought cut him more deeply than that dark blade. There had to be something there, right? There had to be a reason as to why she had haunted his dreams for so long.

He knocked.

On the other side of the door, Izumi's heart stopped beating for a moment. She knew it was him…she could sense it, but his emotions were so very faint. It was a stark contrast compared to her other companions, whom she could read most easily. She recognized his strong mind, his raw, unbelievable power, but no emotions. Was that his uneasiness or hers? Oh, she didn't know anymore. Reluctantly, Izumi inched towards the door. She wanted to see him, she really did, but she did not know how to handle herself around him quite yet. Her composure ran about madly, nowhere to be seen.

She found herself opening the door anyway.

Takuya stood there, leaning tiredly against the door frame with a regretful look in his eyes. He was upset, it was clear to see. His warm, chocolate eyes bore in to her bright ones so earnestly she feared he could see right through her. Her lips parted, as if they were about to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, she only bit her lip, waiting for him to say something first.

Takuya found it hard to concentrated as she did so, however. Her lips were such a deep red. He already found himself yearning to kiss them, to run his tongue along her mouth. Sighing, Takuya ran a hand through his thick, dark hair in order to snap himself out of his thoughts. "Izumi," he began, giving her a faltering smile, "could I please speak to you? It-It kills me that you are upset with me. The last thing I want you to be is mad at me."

His pleading made it even more difficult for Izumi to be strong. "Yes, um, come in," she said, almost breathlessly. The countess shut the door behind him. Takuya walked in to the center of the room, waiting for her. Izumi then turned around, a scowl appearing on her face. Crossing her arms she presses, "So what happened, Takuya? Why did you leave Lightwell without telling anyone?"

"I did tell Kalin, but she didn't want me to go," he answered truthfully, happy to finally explain, "I couldn't stay there though. I had to be with you all. I wanted to be there to help you when the time finally came. Kalin-she lied to me…about a lot of things. If she had had it her way, I would have never seen you guy at all, probably."

Izumi listened to him carefully. She cocked her head to the side perplexed at his words. "What did Kalin lie to you about? And why would she not let you come see us?"

Takuya looked down. He scratched his short beard, shaking his head in despair. "I can't tell you, but you'll have to trust me. But Izumi," he starts before she can retort angrily, "I will tell you eventually I promise. Even I am still struggling with it. And honestly, I think Kalin would not let me come here because of my training. She kept saying that I was different from you all, that I needed special lessons. But I don't think she trusts me because of my past."

"What do you mean you're past?" Izumi questioned, taking a seat on her bed before she is overwhelmed by information.

"Well," he began almost nervously, "she told me that I am the only Hero to have been born with my powers. I still am not sure as to why that makes such a difference, but apparently it does. Izumi, again, I can't tell you everything, but let me say that my grandfather was a murderer and my father was a coward," Takuya sneered, clearly not enjoying their current topic of conversation. He explained what had happened to his father however, everything from him running from Lightwell to his death under Haishin's blade.

"I understand some of her concern," Izumi started cautiously, trying not to offend Takuya, who was already putting himself out there to tell her all these things, "Because you were born with your powers, I would think that makes you more powerful than us, correct? Perhaps she is just concerned that you could loose control…"

Takuya gave her a dry smile, "I have been born with quite a few powers, yes."

"There is something she's not telling you, though," Izumi concluded, scratching her chin, her bright eyes searching the floor as if they held the secret, "I just don't understand, why was it not allowed for you to come here. Why did Kalin make a point for you to train in Lightwell without the rest of us. Something's missing."

"Kalin is quite the goddess of secrets," Takuya scoffed.

Izumi looked up at him, with burning eyes. "Perhaps you should have stayed there in Lightwell," she snapped, "you cannot just go about disobeying the goddess. She is only trying to help us. You've caused worry where worry need not be. None of us had known where you went! I thought you had left for good!"

"Izumi," Takuya inhaled sharply. He swiftly kneeled before her as she sat on her bed trying to stay strong in front of him, but she was crumbling. Without thinking, he had taken her hands in his causing the breath to leave her body in surprise. "You have to believe me when I say that was not my intention. But I had to leave. I felt it, I felt the need to. Izumi listen to me when I say I will never leave you for good. Ever," he grinned. It was that boyish grin Izumi loved so much. "You're stuck with me."

At this remark, she laughed. "Wonderful," she quipped, rolling her eyes mockingly, "well then I suppose we should return to being friends, so I may stop being angry with you and your reckless decision to disobey a goddess."

Takuya chuckled, but did not like the fact that she had called them 'friends'. Was that really what she wanted? To just be friends? _Well, perhaps that's what I want too_, he thought to himself, now slightly frustrated. He couldn't identify what it was he felt for her, but it was not all friendship. Takuya did not feel this way about Carmen or any other woman he's been around. Izumi was all he thought about, and he felt this need to be around her all the time…and it did not help that she was so beautiful. "Right," the rebel managed to say, but then beams at her. "So why don't we catch up?" he suggested, wanting anything but to leave. Takuya then jumps on to her bed in a playful manner, grabs a pillow, and places it underneath his head; preparing himself for her stories.

"Takuya!" Izumi groans, irritated at how he took up most of the mattress with his large, muscular frame. But the excitement on his face caused the countess to giggle. And so, she told him everything they had gone through after leaving Ester. He listened intently, smiling as she recounted her stories with animated eyes. Izumi retold with amusement the time she had met Tomoki, and how they had to pretend to be related at the bandit camp. She then explained how they found Thalin and began talking about their time here. "I learned that not only do I have the power to manipulate the air, but the wind speaks to me. And I can speak to others through it."

"Really?" Takuya asked, genuinely curious, "That's quite remarkable. You'll have to show me."

"I will," Izumi beamed.

"I did not know you were so good with a bow, by the way," he remarked with a smirk, "that was quite an impressive shot you made to kill that hog."

"Well, I have been practicing," the countess responded proudly. "And what about you, Kanbara?" she prods, "What exactly can you do?"

Sitting up, Takuya continues to play a crooked smile on his face. "My speed and reflexes have been enhanced. So not only can a wield a blade expertly, but I am extremely quick with it."

"You're so arrogant," Izumi muttered, rolling her eyes at him.

"You asked!" he defended himself, laughing as she then proceeded to launch a pillow at his face.

"It's your tone," she sniffed, "your are too cocky for your own good. You've always been."

"And how do you know how I've always been," he quipped with amusement. He sat up in order to look at her more closely.

Izumi tried not to seem affected by the proximity of their faces, but he had indeed moved very close to her. She looked down to hide a blush creeping up on to her cheeks, and silently hoped the candle light would shadow it. "I just have a feeling that it's how you've always been," she smirked, eventually looking back up in to his warm, brown eyes only to find them staring down at her endearingly. She tried not to flush this time, biting her lip trying to distract herself.

Again, Takuya wished she wouldn't, for it only made him want to press his lips up against hers without relenting. He found himself laughing at her comment, struggling to keep his eyes off of the sensual line of her mouth. "Well, I have a feeling that I missed you," he whispered.

"You hardly know me," she scoffed, but knowing it was a lie. He knew her strangely well.

"Right, of course," Takuya muttered, rolling his eyes at her remark.

Izumi giggled. She realized he had just admitted to missing her, and just that little fact warmed her heart and sent her flying. The countess had obviously missed him too, but the time to say so had now passed. She would just have to tell him another time.

* * *

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and Takuminess! :) _

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Takashi and Kyoya: spies for Akeno

-Thalin: Philosopher/Scholar who had dedicated his life to studying the Heroes.

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	17. Pride

_****__****__****__****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

* * *

_**Chapter 16:  
**__Pride_

* * *

Izumi awoke to the warm sunlight beaming in through her window. She groaned and stirred. Blinking, she saw she had forgotten to close the curtains the night before…The night before…Oh, yes, she remembered. Takuya and her had stayed up all night talking to each other, whispering like little children trying to hide a secret in the dark. She didn't remember him leaving, however. It had to have been so very late. Izumi beamed. She remembered not wishing the night to end. She was reminded of the time they spent together at the ball and at Ester. The way they conversed so naturally and easily was both a comfort and a fear to her. It was the way that he made her so at ease and secure that left Izumi panicked and worried whenever he was not around. Why was it that he did this to her? How? She blamed it partly on his stupid, boyish grin and his warm, brown gaze that seemed to see right through her heart. Sitting up, Izumi pouted about her situation. Her eyes wandered about the room in a daze, still groggy from the sleep in her stare.

Groaning, she began to make her way out of her bed. She swung her legs out from underneath the sheets and stumbled across her room, heavily taking a seat at her vanity. Izumi moaned again at her reflection. "I hope I did not look this horrid last night," she whined, noting how half of her hair had made its way out of its bun and the dark circles underneath her eyes. Quickly, she took it all down and began to brush it. As she did so, her thoughts again traversed to Takuya. The countess found herself desperately wishing to know how he felt about her, and it frustrated her that she could not sense any emotions from him. She would have to ask him as to why that is.

"Izumi?" the countess heard Carmen's voice float through the door.

"Come in," she responded while trying to pin half of her hair up, wearing it similar to how she did the day before.

The rebel leader did so, smirking smally as she past through the door. "Good morning," she greets, "I came to see if you were all right."

Izumi glanced at her friend through the mirror, brows furrowed in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?" she inquired, a bit more defensively than intended.

"Well, we were all surprised with Takuya's sudden reappearance," Carmen explained, patiently, "how are you handling it?"

Damn the woman for being observant, Izumi thought icily to herself. "I'm fine," she responds hastily.

"Very well," Carmen replied, trying to stifle down a laugh, amused by Izumi's mood, "I heard him in your room last night, so I was just making sure."

The countess glared at her, knowing the Liberation leader was teasing her. "He was merely explaining a few things for me," she countered, "now, if you excuse me, I need to change."

"Of course," Carmen smiled, quickly leaving through the door before pushing Izumi's irritation even farther.

Outside, Takuya and Roran joined Tomoki at the archery range after finishing their breakfast. The Hero of Fire watched, impressed, as the ranger hit his mark every time flawlessly. The rebel had improved his archery skills greatly, but they were still nowhere near Tomoki's.

"I don't even have to watch," the ranger bragged, smiling brightly at them as they stood in the lanes next to him. "I just feel it. And-," he releases the arrow from its nook on the bow it pierces the red center of the target perfectly.

Takuya smirks. "How are you with a sword?"

Tomoki shrugged. "I'm decent…but Kouji, the commander, he is the best I've seen in a while. He is undefeated so far."

Suddenly, Davis appears from behind the cottage. He jogs up to Takuya saying, "Thalin wishes to see you today. He'll be at the tree near the lake."

"We do not have lessons today," Roran pointed out.

"Well, Takuya does,"

"Very well," the Hero of Fire muttered, stalking away from his friends and towards the only large tree in this valley. On his way there, he saw Izumi emerge from the cottage, wearing her velvet green dress. Takuya simply stopped a moment to admire how the way the dress complimented the curves of her body and how the sunlight reflected beautifully against her hair. He grinned, comforted just by the sight of her. Takuya then finally met her gaze, green eyes shimmering like emeralds in the light.

She smiled and began walking over to greet him, but he met her halfway. "Good morning, Mr. Kanbara," Izumi said in mock formality.

"Ah, yes, good morning to you too, Miss Orimoto," he responded, playing along, "I trust you slept well madam."

"Very, thank you," she laughs, amused by his attempts, "I do hope you have a splendid day."

"Right, er," he stammered, "is this the part where I talk about the weather?"

Izumi giggled again. She shakes her head, saying, "No, please don't. Polite talk does not suit you."

"Are you accusing me of not being a man of etiquette?" Takuya inquires, feigning offense on his visage.

The countess nods. "Perhaps," she taunts, "but where are you off to?"

"Apparently Thalin needs to see me," he says, sighing, "I wish he didn't however. I'd rather not spend my first day here training."

"But is that not what you came here to do?" she queries with a smirk.

"Well, I suppose that was partly the reason," he chuckles at her retort, "but of course I also travelled all the way here to see you."

"'You' as in 'you all'," Izumi corrects.

"No," Takuya casts her his boyish grin, shaking his head, "I mean 'you' as in 'you', Izumi."

The countess pauses. He had not told her _that_ last night. Perhaps he was still playing, she thought. "Takuya, are you trying to charm me?" Izumi inquires, pretending to be unaffected by his bold words.

"Is it working?"

"Not really," she lied, turning her back to him. "But of course I don't quite believe you," she smiled, peering over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of his reaction.

"I already told you I missed you," he pressed, moving closer to her, "why can't you believe me when I say I came here for you?"

Izumi shrugged, growing light headed from the touch of his warm breath on her neck. "Perhaps I would believe it if I felt your sincerity," she whispered, trying to keep her voice from faltering. Suddenly, she whipped around to face him, realization in her eyes. "Why is it that I cannot sense any emotions from you?…all I sense is your power, which is something quite curious in itself..."

Takuya grinned with amusement at her sudden question. "I shall tell you, but…later," he said, motioning his head towards the tree he was supposed to meet Thalin at, "I'll find you after my meeting with the old man."

"You better," she warned, narrowing her eyes at him.

Before leaving her, Takuya rapidly pressed his lips against her left cheek. His boldness caused them both to flush fiercely. And with that, the rebel sped away, smirking. The countess growled at him, cursing to herself. He did that to purposely fluster her, the bastard. She found herself being driven mad with irritation by his childish gesture. Not only that, but he confused her. Was he toying with her? Or did he actually care?

Takuya made it over to Thalin in high spirits, happy with his current success. Her cheek had been warm, and his lips still tingled from her touch.

"You certainly took your time getting over here," the philosopher muttered, his frail body leaning against the tree.

"Er, I'm sorry sir," Takuya replied, genuinely, "I, um, got distracted."

Thalin couldn't help but smile smally. He looked over towards the direction Izumi was walking and saw her quickly glance back at the Hero in front of him. "I can't imagine whatever by," the old man teased, taking a seat on the grass.

Takuya smirked. "No one told me you had a sense of humor," he murmured, following suit. "So do you start out these lessons by mediating as well?"

"Normally, yes," he nods, "but with you, I simply wish to speak to you about certain things and then will I figure out how exactly to go about training you. Kalin, I suspect has already done an excellent job. Honestly, it is quite an honor to be trained by a God, especially with the goddess who made your kind. I cannot imagine you left only to come train with me, for I cannot do a better job that the goddess herself."

Takuya sighed. He shifted uneasily on the grass, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Kalin did teach me a lot, yes. But she kept things from me. Secrets. To learn Haishin was my grandfather made me angrier than I have ever been…I just could not stay alone, separated from the others when I know they need me."

Thalin listened attentively. "I agree on some points," he began, scratching his long, grey beard, "I do not think she should have kept your ancestry from you…though I understand why she did. You are dangerous, Takuya, a Hero with two elements at the tip of his fingers. If you do tap in to your second element, you could become a threat to us all, however, you may also be the one strong enough to end Haishin's reign. Kalin did not tell you this for she is afraid that history may repeat. Though I have faith in you. It is by fate that you have been gifted your abilities. Fate gifts those who are destined for greatness." Thalin smiles his toothless grin, "Of course, I disagree with a lot of what you've already done. You should always obey Kalin, for she is only doing what is best for you. The other Heroes would have indeed needed you at some point, but not right now, you see. We must all be patient. We are not strong enough to face Haishin yet, and neither are you."

Takuya looked down. He felt ashamed now for his outburst towards Kalin back in Lightwell…he made a note to apologize to her the next time he saw her. Glancing back up at the philosopher, he sighs, "I just did not want to be alone." Takuya winced out how pathetic it sounded, but unfortunately it was true.

"There are some things we must accomplish on our own," Thalin says, stoically, "yes, trust and friends are necessary for assistance and guidance, but to fulfill our destiny we must make out our own path. Especially now due to the imbalance of fates. Takuya, your tasks will be difficult. You will want to seek comfort from those close to you. But remember," the old man's wrinkled eyes grew serious as he began to speak gravely, "your actions can bring consequences to those around you. Being a Hero can be complicated for you must trust others, yet establish your independence. If you grow too attached to anything or anyone they can become your weakness. And the enemy will at your weaknesses first."

* * *

"Even I could have predicted that the young Hero would leave Lightwell," scoffed a tall man dressed in a white and gold tunic, a long sword at his hip, and a great cape made of brown furs. His hair was long and golden in color, ending past his shoulders. On the front of his tunic was the emblem for the eastern kingdom, two swords with gold hilts crossing and in front of them, brown heraldic eagle with its wings beautifully spread out.

"I tried to stop him, Aernal," Kalin growled, pacing back and forth on the white, marble balcony, only part of an enormous palace sitting at the peak of a mountain, which erupted from the base of a cloud. It overlooked the entire world. All the goddess had to do was step out and will wherever she wished to go and she would be there in a matter of seconds. "This is a disaster and none of you seem to be taking the matter seriously! He is too headstrong."

Aernal and two other gleaming figures listened to their sister, fixing their pupiless gazes on to Kamora. Kalin was the only one decorated with tattoos upon her skin. The other woman pursed her red lips, twirling a strand of her silver hair with a slender finger. "I still do not think there is anything to fear quite yet," she said, in a voice similar in tone to Kalin's; rich, low, and powerful, "each human being is different. Just because love was Haishin's downfall does not mean it could be Takuya's."

"But, Renai, human history does indeed tend to repeat itself. If another Dark Hero rises, it shall be the end of our reign," Aernal sighed, then turned to the last figure peering over the balcony.

It was another man, with curly, dark hair, but dressed in a similar fashion as his company. However, instead of his tunic being trimmed with gold, it was with silver, and embedded on his chest was the green symbol of a Great Griffin, identical to the one the army of the west bore. "I think we should be wise to fear Takuya's power," he shrugs, "but we must let the Heroes make their own choices and their own mistakes. Besides, love is but and emotion. It does not wreak chaos like the elements do."

"You underestimate it, Awai," Kalin snapped, "love has caused wars! And we even agreed that is was Haishin's demise!"

"Because he had a love for power, not a woman," Awai rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest, "Takuya's affairs are not our concern, what we should be concerned about is his raw, uncontrollable power! We must keep him on our side, and that could prove to be difficult if you keep angering him, Kalin."

"Sometimes I loathe the fact Aomori refuses to get involve," Renai sighs, her white, velvet dress flowing in the wind, blowing the hair away from the blue symbol of a Rampant Lion, the emblem representing the south. "Giving the humans free will was possibly the worst idea imaginable. Of course their kind was doomed to fail,"

"Don't you dare criticize the Great God's ways," Aernal gasped, his brows furrowing, "even we are but pawns in his game. Everything he does teaches us something."

"But what good is it if we cannot utilize what we've learned," Renai pouted, "we are loosing our power! Even if we revealed ourselves to the humans they would still not believe or pray to us. They have become fatally stubborn."

"If the Heroes succeed faith shall return to the world," Kalin starts, "we need to belie-"

She was interrupted by the rumbling of a storm cloud blowing past them. Suddenly, appearing before them was a black mist. It slowly began forming in to a man with blue-ish, pale skin with long black hair fallen down his back. His smile was chilling, full of sharp, jagged teeth. His eyes were a pale yellow, his fingernails black and pointed. "Well, well, do you Gods have not better things to do with yourselves other than standing here and bickering with one another?" the repulsive man snickers, his gaze moving in between each of them.

"What are you doing here, Zaigou, you have no power here," Awai snarled, moving forward defensively, "go back to the place where you where damned to."

Zaigou let out a howling laugh, causing the others to wince at the screeching of his voice. "Neither do you," he sneers, "if I'm not correct, you all are becoming more powerless by the hour. Pray, tell me, when is the day you shall loose your powers completely?"

"Leave, you snake," Kalin scowled, "your presence is not welcome here."

"You are all fools," Zaigou spat, "especially your Father. To put your own faith in the humans is ridiculous. To protect a race that does not love you? It is madness. You will die with them and then you shall regret all you have sacrificed for those pathetic, loveless humans."

"Be gone, before we make you leave," Aernal started, drawing his sword.

"Very well," the dark being smirked, "but soon the tables shall change. You'll see. And Aonori will as well…"

* * *

Already a week flew by. Esper found that she generally got along with everyone, even the knights who barely spoke to Takuya. The commander, however, was a different story. He seemed to be a cold, young man, depressed even at times. Tomoki had told her to ignore him.

"Kouji's always like that," he had assured, but Esper could sense the commander's growing anger and unease with each passing day. It was not until she noticed the way he lit up whenever Izumi passed by, always greeting him sweetly, that Esper realized the source of Kouji's brooding mood.

Takuya and the countess hardly left each other's sides except when they had to train. This even left Esper feeling sick in the pit of her stomach, and she assumed Kouji was jealous as well. However, seeing them together did not hurt the elven maiden as much as she thought it would. She was unsure as to why…Perhaps it was because now she did not hear Takuya incessantly speak about how he missed her or maybe it was seeing her friend happy. Yes…that was most likely it. She had never seen Takuya so happy. It was as if there was no war going on in his world. All his mind ever thought about was Izumi; Esper could see it in the way he looked at the countess. Oh, how she still longed for his affections though.

Esper had been surprised that Takuya still spoke to her often, but relieved. She had feared that once he was reunited with his old companions, he would forget all about her. To her immense delight, he did not. They were still very friendly with each other; joking and teasing…but never were they alone anymore. No more did they share intimate conversations and Esper missed that. It was probably for the best, however, for sometimes when she spoke casually to Takuya, Izumi was quick to grow envious. Strangely, this satisfied Esper, though it was very wrong that it did.

Today, Esper spent most of her time with Tomoki, the kind, charming ranger she had become quick to befriend. He was very similar to Takuya in a sort of boyish way. The two had finished shooting arrows and began making their way over to the combat area. "Ah, Kouji and his brother are at it again," Tomoki beamed, his icy eyes bright, "these are the most entertaining of spars. Kouichi is always out to best is older twin. He always seems to come up short, however."

"I heard that," Kouichi grunted, nearly dodging Kouji's strike to the side.

Junpei, who was also present watching the twins, began to snicker. "Er, shut up and fight," he chuckled, beginning to take a look around almost instinctively. "Say, any of you know where Izumi is?"

Esper grimaced. Not him too. Was everyone here under her spell at some point or another? She could even sense Kouichi's anticipation to see the countess…

"I have a hunch as to where she might be," smirked Roran, who had just strolled on to the scene with Carmen and Davis at his side. It was odd…Esper had strangely come to like Roran though they had barely spoken. Takuya had told her stories about the uptight rebel when they were younger and causing mischief, but he also spoke highly of his friend's loyalty and dedication. He was good-looking, but not the most handsome Hero. However, Esper had genuinely come to like his face-especially his soft, grey eyes. They were such a beautiful color. She enjoyed watching him. He was the only man who seemed not have liked Izumi romantically at any point after meeting her, and this interested her. Had someone else already won his affections?

"I saw her coming this way," Carmen added, trying to diffuse any tension. Many could grow uneasy simply by the fact she was with Takuya.

But, no matter how the others felt about it, Izumi was indeed with the rebel. They were walking away from the tree Thalin stood underneath, for the countess had just finished a lesson. Takuya, knowing when she would end, had come to meet her. He grinned upon seeing her for the first time today. "You know," he began, gazing at her intently, admiring her honey-gold hair as it bounced past her breasts, "you still have not showed me how your ability to 'speak with the wind' works."

Izumi looked up at him, green eyes shining. "Are you really interested? Or are you teasing me?" she narrowed his stare in suspicion as she asked the last query.

"Me? Tease you? Never," Takuya laughed, giving her that boyish smile she loved so much.

"Well," she started, pulling on his arm to bring him to a stop, "I suppose I shall show you now."

Takuya waited. It seemed like forever he stood there, fixing his eyes upon her beautiful, fair-skinned face. He noticed she wore her hair only half down…he found himself yearning to see it completely loose without restraints.

_Takuya…you're an idiot…_

The rebel could not help start slightly in surprise. "That's incredible, Izumi," he muttered, in awe at how clearly he could hear her voice in his head. "Interesting choice of words, however," he chuckled, "I would have gone with something like 'Takuya, you're a brilliant man'."

The countess rolled her eyes at his quip. "Why ever would I lie?" she retorted, "but thank you. Now you see how it works."

"Can you do it anywhere?"

Izumi looked up at the sky in thought. "It works best outside, where the wind is strong…and I cannot send messages very far. But Thalin says, the more I practice, the better I shall become at using the ability," she smiled smugly.

They came around the corner, now in sight of the combat area. Takuya noted everyone gathered about there. He has yet to spar since leaving Lightwell, but the rebel did not find the need to practice. He and Izumi soon found themselves in the company of their comrades, watching Kouji as he seems to just be defeating his brother once again.

Kouichi was on the floor, his sword had fallen from his grip. He cursed to himself and soon felt the pressure of his older brother's blade on his chest. "Dammit, I concede, I concede," the knight spat angrily, knocking Kouji's sword away in order to stand back up.

Kouji smirked, happy as always to be crowned with another victory. His happiness was short-lived however, for he noticed that _his_ countess was with that traitor of a rebel. Kouji did not like him. Clearly. He thought Takuya walked about arrogantly, thinking as if he was needed here. Well, he wasn't. Someone should put him in his place, and Kouji had an idea as to how it could be done.

"Takuya, why don't you spar with me?" Kouji inquired, his voice loud and confident.

The Hero of Flame glanced up. He gave the commander a surprised glance, for he'd hardly ever been spoken to by him. He never liked Kouji, especially because of that day he rode off with Izumi before Makoto took him prisoner. Takuya was about to respond until Izumi gave him a warning look. She knew how headstrong he could be, and she did not want any more tension than there already was. "No, that's all right," Takuya muttered, still looking at Izumi, whose gaze lightened at his response, "not today."

"So you've heard he's the best, huh?" Junpei smirked, nodding towards his commander. "Come on, just spar with him, trust me, it will be quick. It's always good to practice, eh?"

"Junpei, do not bother," Kouji scoffed, "he's just a rebel. It would be _too_ quick of a match. Let him cower behind his betrayal…"

Takuya's blood immediately began to boil. Izumi could see how his eyes began to burn. She turned to give Kouji a shocked expression; he was not acting like himself. How dare he be so bold. Before she could say anything, Takuya had left her side and walked over to the rack of swords. Picking one casually, he began to swirl about his fingers, getting used to the feel.

The rebel met Kouji's smug gaze with his own crooked smile. "Very well, Commander, I accept your challenge,"

Esper internally groaned. There was no question that Takuya would win, she just worried that he would cause even more conflict between the Heroes. Izumi was right to warn him, but he of course did not listen. Once he was angry he never listened…

The two men walked to the opposite sides of the field. They bowed, then took their stances. Takuya took a moment to observe his opponent, as he had been taught too. Kouji was strong, but lanky. He figured the commander was lighter than him, thus he'd be quick...

A few seconds went by until Junpei suddenly called out. "Begin!"

Izumi watched, enraged. She was irritated by both Kouji and Takuya for behaving so immaturely. "Men, I swear…" she growled lowly, causing Carmen, the only one to hear, to laugh despite the situation.

"I've never seen Takuya fight with a sword," the Liberation leader chuckled, "this should be interesting."

"But what about being a part of the rebels? Do you not use them?" Izumi inquired, surprised and suddenly fearful that he could get hurt.

"We use dagger, mostly," Carmen replied distantly, now paying more attention to the spar.

Takuya and Kouji had both paused, waiting for the other to lunge and attack first. The commander sneered, "What are you waiting for?"

"You and I both know it is foolish to jump first…but since someone has to do it," Takuya shrugged, suddenly lunging towards Kouji, but of course his attack was blocked. He expected this. He also expected the counter Kouji would attempt, so Takuya sidestepped to the right, letting the commander's blade swish past his head. The rebel then slashed downward. Kouji raised his sword just in time to block the attack, but doing so caused him to stumble a bit. The force was much stronger than the commander had anticipated. Quickly, Kouji regained his footing and began a series of slashes and lunges at the rebel, pushing Takuya farther back.

The rebel was first a bit surprised by Kouji's chain of attacks, thinking them to be fast for a normal man, but then he began blocking them easily, recognizing the rhythm they came in.

Kouichi and the others watched entranced by their swift, effortless movements. The knight knew immediately at the beginning that his brother had underestimated the rebel. Kouichi was astonished by this…Kouji had always taught him not to be arrogant in his abilities, yet the commander had been so only moments ago. His brother was certainly acting strange.

Kouji continued on with his assaults, coming from all angles. He began to think he was taking the upper hand as he continued to push Takuya farther back, however, he found it odd that the rebel was not retaliating. He merely blocked, ducked, and jump when needed to avoid an oncoming blow. This frustrated the commander. "Fight me like a man, Kanbara," Kouji growled, swinging across causing Takuya to lift his sword and block the attack inches from his face.

"What? And end the match that quickly?" Takuya smirked, "I don't think so."

Kouji snorted in disgust at this man's arrogance. He then swung downward again. Their swords collided with a spark and a clang. "You seem awfully confident in yourself, Takuya, I'm curious as to why that is?" the commander scoffed.

"Do you really wish to know?" Takuya grinned haughtily as he continued evading his opponent's blows with ease. He ducked as Kouji's sword flew over head. Sweat began to bead down the commander's face, while Takuya was still perfectly vigorous. He did appear to be weary at all.

Kouji grunted, completely flustered by the fact that he could not land a single hit on the rebel. "Enlighten me," the commander panted, his energy failing him. He could feel his muscles aching, begging him to slow down, but instead he pushed harder in an attempt to speed up.

Suddenly, after Takuya blocked another oncoming blow, the rebel reached out and grabbed Kouji's wrist with lightning speed, keeping their blades collided and screeching against each other. "I'm not even using half my speed," Takuya whispered, a smirk in his voice.

In that moment that tables turned. The Hero of Flame pushed Kouji away from him, hard. The commander had little time to stumble about, for Takuya was on top of him, showering him with swings and stabs Kouji could hardly block. Now he was the one being pushed back.

Kouichi was stunned. Never had he been able to push his brother back himself! Nor had he ever seen anyone do it. He and Junpei traded shocked glances before returning to the scene. Takuya's movements became almost a blur. He had no idea how Kouji was managing to block them. Beside the knights, Roran, Davis, and Carmen were equally surprised. They had always known Takuya to be fast, but not like this. His attacks were like lightning strikes; so quick that it was impossible to determine where exactly it was he struck.

Tomoki was extremely impressed. He was the only one grinning at the scene. "I've never seen anything like this," he whispered eagerly to Esper, who merely sighed.

Takuya was close to finishing this. With his next attack, the rebel twirled his sword against his opponent's, causing Kouji to loose his grip on the hilt of his blade. It flew, falling yards away. Now the commander was swordless, and he felt an unfamiliar pressure on his chest. Looking down, Kouji could see it was Takuya's blade, and the rebel waited for him to concede.

Astounded, the commander merely looked at him; blue eyes wide. Never had he been beaten. A new fury and resentment began to bubble within him. Takuya had cheated. "You ass," Kouji spat, "you cannot use your abilities!"

The rebel blinked. "Are you serious?"

"Whoa, alright, alright," Kouichi and Junpei suddenly jumped on to the scene before blood began to spill, "it seems as if Takuya is the victor-not that it really matters. It was just a simple-,"

Junpei was interrupted by Kouji. "The results are void. It does not count for Takuya cheated. Not that we should be surprised. A traitor always cheats those around him."

Suddenly, without warning Takuya's fist flew, landing a punch squarely on the side of Kouji's jaw. With that, the commander leapt forward, tackling the rebel on to the floor. The two began to brawl, rolling about in the dirt punching and kicking. Kouji managed to land a hit on Takuya's nose.

"Enough!" Izumi screamed. Everyone looked up at her, even the two on the floor. She stormed over to them, her startling green eyes livid. "This is ridiculous! How are we supposed to defeat Haishin if we cannot even get along."

At her words, Kouji looked to the floor in shame, his lip bleeding. A shade of red crept across his face and he instantly stood up. "You are absolutely right, my lady," he bowed, "please accept my apology."

"It is not to me you need to apologize to," she pressed, trying to hide the snarl forming on her lips.

Kouji paused. Cursing to himself, he turned to Takuya, who had stumbled a bit pushing himself off from the floor; a trail of blood trickling from his nose. In a struggle, the commander said, "I am sorry Takuya."

The rebel merely grunted in response. He wiped the red from his face and began to leave, but Izumi stopped him as well. "Takuya, you are at fault too," she glowered expectantly.

"He called me a traitor, Izumi! I am _not_ apologizing," he growled, glaring at the commander.

"You must get past that, he already apologized," she groaned, her hands gesturing with exasperation, "how can we work together as Heroes if there is always tension?!"

Takuya shook his head stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest. "I am not saying sorry, Izumi," he muttered, lowly, "I did nothing wrong."

Izumi's blood began to rage. "You are a bastard, Takuya! Speak to me again only when you've decided to stop being so damn selfish!" she shouted, her face turning a bright red. With that she decided to storm off, back towards the cottage.

Takuya watched, completely still. He blinked a few times before realizing he had really pissed her off. But of course she was right…how was this feud going to help them win this war? He had been prideful, and in being so he hurt a fellow Hero and most of all Izumi. This he regretted. Running an aggravated hand through his dark hair, he turned back to Kouji. "I'm sorry," he mumbled reluctantly, not meeting the commander's gaze.

Kouji merely nodded but said nothing. The two walked away from each other.

* * *

Makoto knew he was close. All these months of searching were finally going to pay off. Bending down to glance at the forest floor, he recognized human tracks leading deeper in to the thicket. This was exceedingly odd due to the fact very few ventured in to the Spiral Mountains. "I think we've finally found something," the large general concluded, turning to look at his companion.

A woman about medium height with long, midnight black hair smoothly ambled over to him. Her deep brown eyes examined what Makoto had found, and to her delight, the tracks were only a week or two old. "This is interesting," she mused in a low, velvet tone. Closing her eyes she began to concentrate on the earth around her.

"Do you feel anything, Mai?" Makoto inquired eagerly.

"Sh!" she snapped, he was not helping her focus. After a moment or two she did feel something, but coming towards them. "This way," Mai suddenly motioned, and they jogged in to the direction of the tracks. What the found were not humans, but horses.

Two of them. The stallions were merely grazing on whatever plants they could in this damp forest. "What on earth are horses doing here?" Makoto grunted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well they had to be ridden here, did they not?" Mai rolled her eyes, "whoever was coming this way set their horses free after reaching their destination."

The general's eyes lit up to hear this. "So we should follow the horse tracks to see where they came from!" he exclaimed, feeling a mixture of relief and excitement.

"Exactly," Mai smiled wickedly, and the two Heroes began to make their way farther in to the dark forest.

* * *

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Awai, Renai, and Aernal: more of the gods, each symbolizing the different kingdoms.

-Takashi and Kyoya: spies for Akeno

-Thalin: Philosopher/Scholar who had dedicated his life to studying the Heroes.

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	18. Shadows

_****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

_I have a feeling you are going to like this chapter ;) THE TIME HAS COME FOR SOME TAKUMI_

* * *

_**Chapter 17:  
**__Shadows_

* * *

"Concentrate, Takuya, you must focus or the darkness will never come to you,"

"I'm trying!" the rebel snapped. He was drenched it sweat, his dark hair sticking to the sides of his head. His eyes were tightly shut as he struggled to call upon anything he could at this point. "I can't do it, I can't…" Takuya panted, shaking his head. His brown eyes flew open, and he fell back to the floor panting.

"If you don't believe you can do it, or course it will not happen," Thalin answered, patiently. His own weary gaze opened up as his body relaxed itself from its meditating position. "The element of darkness will not be as easy as your fire to call upon. It will require double the amount of concentration, and even then I do not know how manageable it will be…you are the first Hero with two elements after all."

Takuya sighed. He was still getting nowhere with his second element. Fire came to him so easily though, he had no idea what was wrong with him. These past four days have been the worst. He found that he couldn't focus on anything. Izumi was still angry with him…even though the rebel told her that he had apologized! Apparently that wasn't enough. Something else had to be bothering her, but how was he supposed to know what that is? He had even asked her what the matter was.

"You know what you did," she had sneered, storming away, leaving him clueless. Well, he wouldn't give in. If Izumi was angry at him for whatever reason he didn't care…

"It seems you have a lot on your mind," Thalin smiled smally, interrupting Takuya from his thoughts, "make things right, or you will never focus. But remember, you are a Hero. Heroes do not let their emotions ever get the best of them. Learn control."

The philosopher's words irked Takuya. He knew control, that was not the issue. Izumi was the issue. With a huff, the rebel stood up. He stretched his sore limbs and then bid Thalin goodbye before heading back in to the house. Instinctively he began looking for the countess. He had not even realized he was doing so until he came across Esper and a wave of disappointment settled over him. He gave her a forced smile then inquired eagerly, "Do you know where Izumi is?"

Her face fell ever so slightly. "Um, yes, I believe she is in her room."

"Thank you," he says, beginning to feel a bit nervous. Takuya internally groaned. Why was he feeling so anxious to confront her? He just wished everything were just back to normal….The rebel wanted to fix things. He wanted to see that glorious smile of hers upon those briar rose lips. He wanted her stunning, emerald eyes to lock with his chocolate, brown ones again.

Esper nodded in response and the rebel sped down the hallway to knock on Izumi's bedroom door. However, when he did so there was no answer; not even the shuffling of feet. Feeling thwarted, Takuya slid his hand down the door frame and to the handle, which he checked. Locked.

Hm. So she was inside…but what was she doing? Takuya thought. He knocked again and still there was no response. He was determined to see her, though, so the rebel travelled one door over to Carmen's room. The Liberation leader answered his knock almost instantly. She gave him an odd, tired look before asking, "What is it now, Takuya?"

"Izumi's not answering her door," he explained in almost a worried tone, "I just need to talk to her. Do you think she's alright?"

Carmen rolled her eyes, but motioned her comrade in. "I'm sure she's fine, she probably simply didn't hear you," she smirked, "It's about time you apologize, though. Izumi's been in quite the foul mood."

Takuya groaned. "But, Carmen, I don't even know what I did!"

"That doesn't matter. To women, it is always the man's fault," she snickered, enjoying how distraught he was, "but I'm sure that when you apologize she'll tell you what you did and then forgive you. Just be patient."

"I'll try…I just miss her," Takuya admitted, collapsing into her vanity chair with a heavy sigh.

Carmen smiled. "She misses you too." Walking over to her bathroom, the Hero of Water opens the door, saying, "Come. Our washrooms are connected, so you may just go through and in to her room. I hardly doubt she will mind,"

Takuya glanced up, hope now creeping up in to his eyes. Jumping up, he scurries over to Carmen, wrapping her up in an excited embrace. "Thank you," he grins, and with that enters the bathroom, closing Carmen's door quietly behind him. Inside, he sees a large brass tube, a chamber pot, and an old mirror; all very similar to the items in his own washroom. He traversed to the other side of the small room and started to open the door to Izumi's room-but suddenly he felt the need to see if he looked at all decent. Taking one look in the mirror he moaned. Of course his hair was everywhere…and he had forgotten to shave these past four days. There was stubble all over his jaw. Rolling his eyes, the rebel began to attempt soothing down his tousled locks with his fingers until it appeared civilized.

Feeling satisfied and a bit more confident, Takuya proceeded to quietly open the door leading to Izumi's room. He knocked to announce his entrance, but after looking around, the rebel found her fast asleep on her bed. Takuya sighed, smiling smally while stepping in to the room and closing the door softly behind him. For a moment or two, the rebel simply watched Izumi, her chest rising and falling with each steady breath. He noticed she was in one of her velvet dresses, and that she had not even gotten underneath the sheets. She must have unintentionally dozed off, he assumed, amused. Takuya figured he should return later…

Yet he stayed, too entranced in watching her sleeping form. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful. Her gold hair spilled about her pillow in soft waves and curls, and her lovely lips were slightly parted. Takuya suddenly felt the strong urge to lean down and consume her mouth with his, just like he had done a countless of times in his dreams. His head began reeling. He wanted to feel every inch of her, kiss every part of her skin, and be beside her in that bed.

Shaking all of these thoughts from his head, Takuya walked over to Izumi's vanity, grabbed the chair, and placed it at her beside so he could sit and wait for her to awaken….

* * *

Saki was growing impatient. Five and a half months with no sign of change would drive anyone mad. She was painfully reminded as to why she had run away with Akeno all those years ago…oh, how she missed him. However, she must remain strong. She was back, waiting for further orders from the goddess who had brought her here. It had been quite the excitement for the elves to have one of their princesses return, even if she was only of half-blood. Currently, the elves were being ruled by Glandur, Saki's half brother she hardly knew. He was twelve years her senior. Though the two siblings were estranged, he insisted that she partake in Council Meetings concerning the events led by Haishin's return; she was a princess after all. And so that is what she had been doing for the past fifteen weeks or so…

Today, however, immediately became different with Kalin's return after being absent for over a month. Saki could not contain her relief to see the goddess once again. "Do you bring news?" she asked eagerly after coming out of one of the dull meetings. Elves had a tendency not to get anything done, for they held no sense of urgency.

"Yes," Kalin responded gravely, "we are greatly outnumbered. Soon I am going to send the Heroes out to gather allies before they join your husband's army. But we also going to need the army of the elves."

Saki gave her an incredulous look. "You're joking. Glandur and the council will never agree to get involved," she scoffed, shaking her head, "you should hear the meetings, Kalin, they are miserable! Please get me out of here."

The goddess sighed. "I am sorry, Saki, but you are needed. Obtaining their help is of the utmost importance. If they do not agree to help soon, your husband and his army will be defeated before the Heroes can arrive."

"Kalin! This is a mess! The elves will never take part in it!" Saki cried, trying her hardest not to finally break down.

"You must try and convince them," was all the goddess said before disappearing once again.

* * *

Izumi stirred. For a moment she almost forgot where she was, but then remembered she had accidentally fallen asleep. Groaning, she wearily began to open her eyes. The light from the window was weak, telling her that it was late in the day. Goodness, how long had she slept? Turning her gaze from the outside world, she started with surprise. Takuya's slumped form was sitting in a chair by her bedside.

_That bastard…what on earth is he doing here, _she began icily, but her stare on him softened. He was snoring lightly, eyelids peacefully closed. Izumi truthfully felt relieved to see him. The countess feared that she may have been too cold to him of late, and honestly wished for him to speak to her once again. Izumi moved to lay on her side, placing her hands in between her head and her pillow. She watched Takuya for a minute or two, giggling softly to herself. The countess wanted to touch him; run her fingers along his cheek, to feel the stubble of his jaw. She sighed.

Did he even feel that way for her? Did he feel anything beyond friendship? She did. Izumi hated admitting it, but she did. She was secretly disappointed he had not joined her on her bed. It was such a waste for him to sleep on that chair when there was plenty of room next to her.

_Izumi you are an idiot, _she growled to herself, _of course he could not do such a thing! What would that look like…completely improper._

After a moment or two of scolding herself, Izumi decided to shake him awake. She was eager to know his reason for coming here. At first, the countess tried being gentle, but Takuya did not even stir. Growing impatient, Izumi flicked his ear. The rebel jumped, his eyes flying open, scanning the room. Suddenly his warm gaze met her startling one. Izumi immediately began to feel self-conscious, and a fluttering in her stomach began to ensue. However, she simply gave him an expectant look, waiting for him to speak first.

Takuya caught on, a slight blush on his cheeks. "Er, right. You're probably wondering what I'm doing here. I-"

He stopped. Izumi had begun to sit up and he realized that her thick hair was completely loose-not in it's usually half-up, half-down style. It looked untamed and gorgeous, framing her face perfectly.

"You…?" the countess prompted, trying to appear annoyed.

"I," the rebel gave his head a rough shake, attempting to wake himself up, "I just wanted to apologize."

"Oh?" Izumi inquired, not completely convinced he meant it, "What for?"

By the names of the Gods, she was making this difficult. Takuya's brow furrowed in frustration. He could hardly concentrate with her looking so damn beautiful just after waking up. The rebel kept thinking about how much he wanted to push her back down and pin her to the bed with his body. Takuya had to shift in his seat to hide his growing arousal.

"For upsetting you, Izumi. I never wanted to upset you," he began and suddenly realized, after all this time, why she had been angry with him. "You were right. I should not be the one causing the conflicts. The Heroes do need to learn how to work together and I've done nothing to help us achieve that. In fact, I've been hindering it and I am sorry."

Izumi stared at him, curiously. "You know you were being extremely arrogant," she huffed, for some personal reason not quite satisfied…

"I know."

"You are very dense, too. You should have apologized to Kouji right away."

"I know, Izumi, I know,"

"From now on-,"

"Dammit, Izumi," Takuya cut her off and without wanting to restrain himself any longer, he presses his lips to hers.

At first, Izumi was stunned. She was not sure if she was still dreaming or actually awake. Her thoughts began running rampant. However, after a few seconds Izumi's instincts took over, and she deepened the kiss. She leaned her body forward and her hands were instantly tangling themselves in his dark hair. Izumi felt one of Takuya's hands snake up her back and rest at her neck, his thumb stroking the flesh behind her ear causing the countess to shiver.

They parted for air. Takuya gazed down at her with those smoldering browns eyes of his, and she smiled. His expression was one mixed of astonishment and wonder. Eventually, though, his lips began to curve upright slowly. He kept stroking her cheek with his thumb as if in the next instant she would not be there. Izumi closed her eyes, relishing his warm touch along her skin. It involuntarily made her sigh. This had been what she wanted from him…not an apology. Opening her eyes once again, Izumi found that Takuya's expression had changed. It looked hungry, frighteningly wild. Something inside her stirred. He looked so devastatingly handsome. She watched his stare fall to her lips and knew what he wanted. Izumi parted her lips, closed her eyes, and waited eagerly for him to close the gap between them once more.

Takuya could not help but be amused. She just looked so anxious. He moved in slowly this time, teasing her with his breath and the faint brush of his lips. The rebel observed as he brows began to furrow with irritation. Not being able to resist that look, he came at her once more; this time more fervently. He opened her mouth with his, running his tongue along her bottom lip causing her to gasp.

Izumi found herself leaning into him more and more with every passing second. She was savoring his warmth, his taste, his touch. This was far better than her wildest dreams. Her heart was leaping at the real ardor that was actually connecting them to each other. It was finally being released after all those months of waiting and hoping. She couldn't get enough of him, of this man that for some reason she knew was forbidden. Izumi could sense that small, warning feeling telling her she could not have him. Not wanting to hear it, the countess extinguished the voice and continued to run her tongue along his.

Takuya found himself grinning. He was elated. Elated to know that she wanted him like he wanted her. Elated to be touching the gold locks of her hair and to be touching her rose, red lips with his own pink ones. He loved her fingers against his skin. They sent desire and comfort in their wake. Everything was still so unreal to him. Takuya could only wonder how the most beautiful woman had chosen him, had yearned for _him_. It seemed like forever before the rebel finally parted from her. Of course he wanted more, but worried that he would not be able to control himself past a certain point.

Izumi did her best to conceal her disappointment…but her thoughts were completely scattered. What did feeling like this mean? Is that how all young lovers kiss? Had she done it right?

Her tornado of questions were all subsided by Takuya's adorable, boyish smile, that had her melting without fire. She grinned back, tracing her fingers down his jaw line just like she had wanted to do so many times before. "We're going to miss dinner," Izumi whispered, as if someone were outside the door listening to them.

"I don't want to go to dinner,"

"Yes you do, you're always hungry,"

"True, but I'd rather be hungry and stay here with you,"

"Don't be foolish," Izumi giggled, but suddenly she realized something. "I don't think we should tell the others…about this," the countess said, now serious and a bit worried. What would they think?

"I agree," Takuya nodded, a small smirk still upon his lips.

Izumi furrowed her brows at his response. "What do you mean you agree?" she snapped, taking offense to his words. Was this something he _wanted _to keep hidden, because she certainly didn't.

Takuya's smile grew at her reaction. Her took her hand, kissing it softly before responding. "I would love to kiss you every day in front of the world, Izumi, but this is a delicate time. All your knights are in love with you. If the Heroes are going to need to work together, I don't think it would be wise to display a reason for more tension," he explained.

Izumi stared at him, staggered. "What do you mean all my knights? Surely you do not mean Kouichi, Junpei, and Kouji," she tried laughing to hide her discomfort.

"You are so innocently blind," Takuya snickered, "what other knights are there?"

Was she really that oblivious? Well, perhaps she did suspect something with Junpei but Kouichi she considered as a brother and thought that he viewed her as a sister! And Kouji hardly showed any emotion at all! Groaning, Izumi rubs her eyes in frustration. "Well that is somewhat of a predicament."

"It'll be fine, they'll get over it," he snorted, standing up to move the chair back in to its proper place.

Izumi looked up to glare at him. "You don't seem very sympathetic."

"Not true," Takuya beamed, on the verge of laughing, "I'm already being kind enough to keep our relationship secret, and _that_ is going to be very hard for me."

"Our 'relationship'," Izumi smirked, standing up to stretch her tired limbs, "so you are automatically assuming we're seeing each other now? What if I don't want to see you? You've brought to my attention a few more options I have."

She was teasing, but Takuya actually turned to her with concerned. "Wait, so you don't wish to see me? Er, romantically I mean...isn't that what you upper-class call it? 'Seeing'?" he stammered.

Izumi watched, amused and oddly touched to see him so flustered because of what she said. She always felt somewhat accomplished to catch him off guard like this. Ambling over to him, the countess wraps her arms around his waist, pecking him quickly on the lips before resting her head on his chest. "Of course I wish to see you," she murmured, closing her eyes in order to feel his steady breathing. "And yes, the aristocrats would consider it 'seeing'," she giggled.

She felt Takuya's muscles relax at her words, and he chuckled with relief. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor, Izumi," he gave her that terribly attractive crooked smile of his.

Izumi could feel her cheeks heat up, but she tried not to seem phased by his charm. Quickly she pulled away from him, heading to the door. "You're so irritated," she complained with a small smile while pinning half her hair up. "Come, let's go to dinner."

* * *

_Hope you are satisfied for the time being ;) there will be plenty more to come._


	19. The Rogues

_****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

_****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****Sorry to leave you all hanging for a little while :) but here's the next chap! R&R please!_

* * *

_**Chapter 18:  
**__The Rogues_

* * *

"Stop, Takuya, someone will see," Izumi groaned, trying to push him away from her, but he was too strong, and his iron grip had already pinned her behind a nearby tree.

"No one is around," he smirked, moving in closer, his breath already on her lips. His dark eyes took a second look about the scene and saw that they were alone. Ignoring her protests, Takuya lowered his mouth to hers, eager as always to taste her. Izumi could do nothing but give in to his warm, ardent kisses. Her anxiety was always quick to dissolve when his body was so close to her. She tried to keep calm as his hands began to roam up from her waist to her neck, setting her skin aflame with desire. Izumi was already slowly loosing control as her fingers entangled themselves roughly with his unruly hair, pulling his mouth harder against hers to deepen the kiss.

"Takuya," she breathed, eyes still closed as she felt his tongue leave her mouth and begin trailing along her jaw then down to her neck. Izumi tried not to think about having every inch of him on top of her, cloaking her with warmth, or having his mouth kiss every part of her body…

"Izumi, Takuya, where are you?! Kalin has arrived!"

The sound of Tomoki's shouts was enough to alarm the two. Takuya quickly leapt off of Izumi, while she tried to regain her composure, but her legs felt like jelly and her breath was ragged. She was supporting herself with the tree. Izumi couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Takuya's flustered appearance. His hair was as wild as his eyes. "Come here," she whispered to him, with a small smile. The rebel did as he was told, drawing back near to her with a sheepish, boyish grin on his face. Izumi blushed; that smile always caused her to do so. She began to soothe his hair down, so that he looked mildly presentable and so that Tomoki did not grow suspicious as to what they were doing…

They reappeared from behind the tree and started to walk towards the cottage. Tomoki caught sight of them after the two had already walked half-way. "Oh, there you are, where were you two?" the ranger asked brightly with curiosity, "Kalin's been here for ten minutes already."

"Oh, we were just walking by the lake," Izumi started, with a smile, "I was showing Takuya the fish-He didn't believe there were any."

Tomoki looked to the rebel for confirmation. "It's true," Takuya shrugged.

"You're a moron, of course there's fish there," Tomoki snorted with amusement, and the three started for the cottage entrance.

Inside, they found everyone waiting for them in the dining room. Kalin glanced warily at Izumi and Takuya, trying to suppress her disappointment and fear. Trying to appear unfazed, she began:

"The time has come for you all to move on from this place. The Rebel Army, led by King Silos needs reinforcements. You must all go and find some."

Already, Kouji was irritated by her words. "And how exactly are we to do that?"

"Well, first off, Tomoki, you must find a way to convince your band of thieves to help. After you have them on your side, begin your march towards the south. On the way, you will meet many creatures and people who could prove to be great allies. You must keep you eyes open at all times, and be wise. Reveal yourselves only to the right people. Your identity can bring hope to those around you. You will spur encouragement." With that the goddess glanced at Thalin, "You must accompany them as far as your body will take you. They still need your wisdom."

Thalin gave he a toothless grin, "My old body is a lot more durable as it seems. I would love nothing more than to go off on another adventure."

"You must hurry. The enemy moves quickly. Be cautious in the woods, for even some of the woodland creatures are on the Dark Lord's side." Kalin then disappeared, leaving the room silent for a moment or two.

"Woodland creatures?" Davis blurted with slight amusement, "What?"

"You do not know what they are?" Esper asked incredulously, "Gnomes, fairies, even elves are considered woodland creatures! Is there no education among humans anymore?"

"Enough of this pointless bickering," Thalin chuckled, "we must be off within the hour. We shall first head out on foot for a day or two before we reach a small town that may have horses we can buy."

And so, they began to pack. Each Hero went to their rooms and began rummaging through their belongings trying to decide what to bring. Izumi decided to leave all her gowns. In the past, this would have been difficult for her to do, but she now realized the flexibility and comfort pants gave her. The countess slipped in to a pair of black ones, which matched the corset she wore over her white chemise. She tied a short sword around her belt, stuck a dagger down her boot, and slung her bow across her back. Glancing at the mirror, she paused.

Gone was the innocent girl…in fact, she'd been gone for months now. Before her stood a warrior-a Hero. No longer was she a countess, not only because the land lay in ruin, but also because of her identity; her new strength.

A knock on the door snapped the Hero out of her thoughts. Takuya walked in, reasy himself with a sword at his hip, a short bow of his own slung across his shoulder, and his dark hair unruly as always. "You ready?" he asked, slight concern etched on his handsome face.

Izumi smiled smally at the boy who was quickly becoming utterly hers. "Yes," she breathed, walking past him as she left the room she knew she would probably never return to.

Meanwhile, Roran had been packing the essential foods-bread, water, dried meat and fruits. He wondered about their journey…more specifically the probability of their success. Not only would it be difficult to find anyone to help reinforce the army, but to get to Akeno in time would be nearly impossible. It would take an utter miracle to get so many people across the map so quickly.

"Why do you doubt so much?" the sandy-haired rebel heard a gentle voice float in to his ears.

Turning around, he saw Esper amble in to the kitchen. Her copper hair spilling over her shoulders and her matching colored eyes were set on him. Roran had never seen an elf before meeting her, and he wondered if they were all this beautiful. "Because there is so much to question," Roran responded coolly, able to conceal his growing anxiety as she drew closer.

"Yes, but there is also so much to hope for," the elven maid pulled her lips in to a comforting smile, "I cannot help but notice that you are the most worrisome of the Heroes." But at the same time, she found him to be the most mature. Roran was one who thought before he acted, and Esper could not help but admire the wisdom he held for one so young.

"Someone around here was to be the rational one," the rebel smirked, half-joking,

Esper tried to ignore the stirring in her stomach as her golden-brown eyes continued to drink in his gleaming grey ones. She loved the color of his eyes.

"Are we all packed?" asked Tomoki, as he suddenly entered the kitchen with an excited smile on his face.

Esper jumped at his sudden entrance, as if she'd been caught in a compromising position, all the while Roran remained to appear calm and unfazed. "Indeed we are," he responded upon seeing the elven maid too caught off guard to speak.

"Very well," the ranger continued, his smile faltering for a brief moment, "um, the rest of the group is waiting outside. Should we go and meet them now?"

"Sure," Roran answered coolly again, slinging the sack of food over his shoulder with ease and walking past Esper to head out of the cottage.

Outside, everyone appeared to be ready. Even old Thalin, who bore a large, warm cape over his bony shoulders and supported himself with a long, wooden walking stick. Kouichi was itching to leave this god-forsaken valley where the Heroes seemed to thrive and he remained useless. If only he had been gifted too…He was so sick of living in the shadow of his brother. Once they reached Akeno, Kouichi would prove his worth as a knight and plunge in to battle, even if it would cost him his life.

Glancing over at a certain golden haired beauty, Kouichi was reminded by just how much he would sacrifice for her.

"Time to depart," Thalin announced, already leading the way back through the waterfall, the rest followed behind. The group was large, the philosopher considered this. They might eventually have to split up in order to save time looking for reinforcements, but that decision would have to wait.

Before the band of Heroes knew it, they had left the valley completely and had been travelling for over five hours. Izumi tried to ignore the soreness creeping up her limbs, slowing her down. She could tell the others were growing weary as well; Except for Thalin…the man held an absurd amount of energy for his age. The philosopher had been at the front since the beginning of the trek through the crisp mountain air. Izumi was surprised to find how cold it was already the second month of spring. Back at her home town, the snow would be completely melted, the roses in full bloom, and the trees lush with rich, green leaves. The grass would look like emerald water covering the hills. Izumi tried to block out the longing for such familiarity, and wondered what the land in the south looked like now that it was ravaged by war.

"Izumi, are you alright?" Kouichi inquired, noticing her crest-fallen visage. He had been walking beside her for quite some time, waiting and thinking of something to say.

The golden haired Hero tried not to seem aggravated by his unnecessary concern for her. She sensed his sincerity and felt guilty for taking out her frustrations of their situation out on him. He was only trying to help how he could. "I am fine, thank you," she replied, giving him a small smile.

Kouichi nodded unsurely, but did not press the matter.

Izumi looked ahead to see Takuya watching her curiously with those smoldering, warm brown eyes that seemed to melt the mountain chill around her. She could tell Kouichi's worry sparked his own. Using the wind, she comforted him silently, _I was just thinking about my home…and wondering how to steal some of Thalin's unnatural energy…_

Her insides warmed to watch the corner of Takuya's lip turn up in to an amused crooked smile. Discretely pointing to Thalin's staff, he lipped, _It's the stick_.

Izumi smiled. She had to resist the urge to run up to where he was walking and throw her arms around his neck. It was annoying how often she felt the desire to kiss him or be wrapped in his arms; to have his lips against her skin. Just the thought sent shivers up her spine.

"How much farther until the town again?" Davis moaned, adjusting the bags that were digging in to his shoulder blades.

"A day or two. More likely the ladder at the pace we are going currently. Did I train you all to be slugs? Move your sorry feet now, chop, chop," Thalin encouraged half-jokingly, but before the others knew it, he was moving faster.

Roran chuckled. He was about to respond when suddenly he stopped in his tracks. Esper seemed to notice. She watched as the rebel began to listen to the voices around him; she could always tell when he was using his powers for his grey eyes would change in to a very dark color. At first she had thought they simply turned black, but looking carefully she realized they actually changed in to a deep, sea green-the color of nature.

He stood perfectly still, trying to hear the thoughts of the trees as best her could. Something wasn't right. They were warning him. "Thalin, I do not think we are along," he whispered, drawing his sword, "Izumi, do you hear anything?"

The golden haired Hero also paused to listen. _Something approaches_…she heard the wind whisper urgently. It had been trying to warn her for some time now, but her thoughts had been too preoccupied…she mentally kicked herself. "Yes, I think-,"

Suddenly a dark ball of energy flew through the thicket, catching everyone off guard. The attack flew right in to Esper's side, sending her flying in to the trunk of a tree. Before anyone could react, they found themselves being bombarded. Takuya's eyes burned a bright amber as he called upon his powers and palms were immediately ignited by flames as he used them to block the attacks. The others followed suit using their own elements, while Kouichi and Davis drew their bows. Roran, however was quick to rush to Esper's side.

"Are you ok?" he yelled over the explosions and snapping of tree branches, "can you stand up?"

"Yes," Esper gasped, still disoriented by the blow which left her in bruising pain. She clutched the rebel's arm for support and met his gaze for comfort, "thank you,"

Thalin glanced about trying to find the source of the attacks. Finally, men dressed in black pants, tunics, and hoods emerged from the woods. They were quick-abnormally quick, and they all held the ability to wield darkness, but a weaker form of it. The philosopher was, for the first time in many years, confused.

"It's not yet been a day and we are already being under attack!" Junpei exclaimed, doing his best to dodge and counter the oncoming blows. However, one mass of energy managed to fly right in to his chest, knocking him to his feet.

Kouji was quick to protect his fallen knight by standing between the fallen soldier and one of the hooded figures, who drew upon his sword. The commander followed suit, his own blade now in hand. The man dressed in black swiftly began an onslaught of swings and lunges, which Kouji struggled at first to block. The commander was quick to adjust to the hooded figure's speed and started to counter.

Junpei grunted as he tried to refocus on the situation. The impact left his world spinning, and he could not even get to his feet yet. Through blurry vision, he watched Kouji fight his attacker, trying to concentrate until doubles became one again.

Takuya glanced about the havoc, trying to identify how many they were up against. There seemed to be blurs of black all around them, relentlessly fighting them with no fear or emotion. They held powers, but not incredibly strong ones. Whoever these people were, they were not human-but they had to be working for Haishin.

Izumi and Carmen were back to back fighting off four hooded figures with their swords and powers. "Who are these people!" Carmen yelled in the midst of swing her blade down only to have it blocked with a snarl.

"I think you mean 'what' are these people-duck!" Izumi responded and the two lowered their heads as one of the attackers attempted firing a ball of dark energy at the Heroes. She could not feel anything from these hooded men-no fear, no emotion, no pain. It reminded her of the soldier they fought during the castle raid; the one who shattered Kouichi's leg and barely noticed when Roran threw a dagger in to his eye. Izumi was sick of this, she needed to know who these people were. Using the wind, she managed to blow one attacker off his feet, and while he was on the ground she brought her sword down in to his chest.

His ribs cracked, dark blue liquid erupted from his throat, and he began to choke on his own blood. Izumi twisted her blade further, digging deeper in to his alarmingly cold flesh. She gasped at the horrible sounds he made while he struggled to stay alive. His hands trying to push her sword out of him, but it was no use. With one last effort, he tried forming a dark mass of energy in his palm, but the power flickered and faded completely with his last breath. Izumi was left breathless. She had just killed a man, and for a moment she forgot why…

"By the name of the Gods, is their blood blue!?" Carmen exclaimed with disgust, coming to the revelation when she plunged her dagger in to one of the men's neck.

The rebel's comment snapped Izumi out of her daze. The golden haired Hero was quick to remove her victim's hood. She gasped again to see that his eyes were entirely black, with there were prominent, dark veins leading to them. His skin and lips were exceedingly pale and ice cold to the touch.

"He must've been human once," Izumi heard Thalin whisper, more to himself than to her, as he managed to find time during the mayhem to examine the body. "I fear he may have been tainted in some way…mutated by magic. He was not human when you killed him, Izumi, he was a puppet."

Though his observations may be true, she realized he was trying to comfort her. Izumi was still in shock of what she'd done.

All of a sudden an all too familiar figure appeared out of the thicket. Takuya almost failed to attempt to block an oncoming attack for he had paused in frustration.

Makoto stood smugly with his arms folded in front of his chest and to his right was a woman about medium height with long, midnight black hair. She was wearing a similar smirk with her hands on her hips.

Thalin looked up and gasped, "The Heroes of Metal and Earth."

"Should've known you'd be close behind these pathetic creatures," Takuya scowled, just barely dodging a ball of dark energy.

"They seem to be giving you a lot more trouble for creatures that are so 'pathetic'," Makoto chuckled, his eyes darkening, "do you like them? We like to call them Rogues."

"Rogues…has a nice ring to it," Tomoki smirked, sending one flying back against a tree with a shard of ice pinned to its shoulder.

"They've been given powers of darkness through injection," Makoto continued smugly, leaning against the trunk of a tree as he continued to watch the scene.

"So when can we begin to kill them," Mai inquired with a malicious smile upon her lips, her hand making its way to her sword.

"Right about now," Makoto answered, doing the same.

* * *

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Mai: Hero of Earth, but works for Haishin

-Awai, Renai, and Aernal: more of the gods, each symbolizing the different kingdoms.

-Takashi and Kyoya: spies for Akeno

-Thalin: Philosopher/Scholar who had dedicated his life to studying the Heroes.

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	20. Warning Voices

_****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

___________________**Hey everyone! So I have a couple of ANNOUNCEMENTS :) 1.) I have **_**attempted t**___________________**o draw Takuya. The link for the drawing is on my profile. Do Not Expect Greatness! hahaha, it was the first time I have drawn in a while, but I know some of you asked for a picture so here's my best shot. I'm gonna try and draw Izumi next. 2.) I am having a REALLY difficult time decided who to pair Esper up with. It is honestly coming down to Tomoki or Roran. Please help me decide! I would love your input in a review :) Alright, so without further ado, here's the next chapter. Please enjoy and review to tell me what you think!**_

* * *

**C**_**hapter**__** 19:**  
__Warning Voices_

* * *

Makoto lunged at Izumi first. She just barely managed to block his attack, but the burly man was much more agile than she had expected. He was light on his feet and his brute strength was difficult to counter. Izumi gasped when she suddenly felt her sword bend in to itself, almost taking her hand along with it, but she managed to let go just in time. The golden haired Hero watched in horror as her weapon fell to the floor in a compacted ball of metal.

Makoto grinned. "That was easier that I thought." He was a bout to swing down at her when a black of ice struck the sword out of the general's grasp, injuring two of his fingers in the process. Growling, Makoto turned to see Tomoki coming towards him. Quickly, the general took what was left out Izumi's crumpled sword and sent it flying towards the young ranger, who had little time to evade.

Izumi cried out at the sight of her comrade being struck right in the left arm by the sharp object, slicing his skin through his shirt with several deep cuts. The impact forced Tomoki to fall against a nearby tree trunk, clutching his bloody arm in pain.

Fury caught a hold of the golden haired Hero. With all her strength, she summoned the window to tear off a huge limb from a nearby tree, sending it straight for Makoto. The attack struck the general right in the abdomen, knocking him to the floor. Izumi was pulling out her bow, beginning to load an arrow in to its niche, when Takuya came out of nowhere, tackling her to the floor. His muscular frame pinned her to the ground just as a large boulder flew right over their heads, missing them by inches.

"Izumi, are you okay?" Takuya whispered, worry written all over his features.

She groaned in response, for being tackled was not exactly painless-but Izumi was well aware he had save her life yet again. "Yes," she managed to say through all her discomfort, but simply glancing in to his warm gaze refueled her spirits. Izumi didn't mind if more rocks flew past their skulls as long as Takuya stayed this close to her.

However, the sounds of the battle booming all around them was enough to snap their attention back to the scene. The two looked up to see Mai standing a few yards away, smirking with her sword in hand and ready. "Well, well, if I didn't know any better I'd say we have a couple of rule-breaking Heroes," the black haired Hero scoffed, focusing her attention on Takuya, "it's such a shame."

Using his enhanced speed, Takuya jumped to his feet and began hurling fireballs in her direction. Mai managed to block his attacks by raising another boulder from the ground to shield herself. She then tried to surprise Takuya by lunging at him with her blade, and though he managed to block it, he was not prepared for her to counter with a kick to the chest, which sent him back a few steps and almost in to one of the rogue's swords. However, Takuya was quick to take out the rogue by grabbing his arm, swinging the man over his head, and slamming him hard on to the floor.

Izumi finished the job with an arrow that pierced the rogue's neck. She then began to aim one at Mai until a sharp pain erupted from her shoulder, causing her to scream.

Takuya's eyes immediately found the source of her pain. Embedded in her flesh was an arrow shot by one of the rogues. He watched in fury and horror as she fell to her knees, her body beginning to give out. He was about to run over and help her until Mai began swinging at him again. This fueled Takuya's rage and his eyes went from the bright amber color to a bottomless, pitch black. In his fists, no longer was his fire red, but a dark mass of energy began burning within it-turning the color to a dark blue. Mai's eyes widened in shock and fear began to slightly creep up her face.

"Makoto!" she cried out, but he was too busy dueling Kouji.

The commander had been matching the general blow for blow. When the two realized swords were not going to determine the winner of their fight, they switched to their elements. Kouji shot beams of white energy while Makoto did his best to reflect the attack with metal formed out of bent swords. However, Kouji managed to sear the top layer of skin on Makoto's leg when the general had been just a little too slow to fully evade, but this had been partly due to the fact Mai called out his name.

"Distractions are always what determines a duel," Kouji smirked, continuing his attacks.

Makoto merely reflected that smile. "Indeed. Your father sends his regards by the way. He does wish you would join us."

At this, Kouji's gaze darkened. "I'd rather die than join that traitor," he spat.

"Makoto! What is going on dammit!" he heard Mai cry out again. This time, he managed to knock Kouji backwards with a hard kick, and so he found the time to turn and see what was happening.

Just like his hands, Takuya's sword even began to glow with an eerie dark fire. Makoto's eyes widened. He knew what came next. "Mai, stop! Stop attacking!" he shouted, but she in panic she continued trying to bring her blade down upon the Hero until suddenly her weapon dissipated in to million pieces at the mere contact of his burning sword.

Takuya then fired a mass of blue fire in her direction. She just barely managed to dodge it, but the rogue behind was not as fortunate. Immediately when the element struck his chest, his body shattered in to ash leaving everyone shocked and silent. The heat burning from Takuya's body was now beginning to consume the atmosphere; the temperature became stifling.

Thalin, who had made his way over to cradle Izumi's limp body, began shaking his head. "He's uncontrolled," he whispered, more to himself, but suddenly he turned to Junpei, who stood next to him in awe, "he's uncontrolled! Stop him before he kills himself and everyone around him!"

"Wh-what! What the hell am I supposed to do?" the Hero of thunder exclaimed.

Esper, who was nearby, began to tremble. This power was so raw; it was hard for her to handle sensing it. "Create a storm-rain, fog, anything! We need to go,"

Takuya began a rampage. Every rogue he saw, he burned on sight. Makoto had quickly made his way to Mai. Grabbing her wrist, he growled, "Time to go."

The black haired Hero nodded, completely out of breath. As the wind began to pick up, and the storm clouds started blanketing the scene, she whistled for the rogues to retreat. Using the fog, they did so.

Takuya, however, was still in a state of darkness. He cried out in frustration as the rain began to pour, clouding his vision and distracting him from destroying more of his enemies. The shadowed flames in his palms still burned bright, though. Esper, nor Thalin or Junpei knew how to calm him now.

"What's going on with Takuya!" Roran cried over the wind.

"He's in a trance!" Thalin shouted back, "If he doesn't stop using up so much of the element, the energy will kill him and likely us as well."

"Let me handle this," Carmen murmured from behind the two, and before anyone could stop her, the rebel leader made her way to Takuya. She watched as he simply stood there, breathing heavily, eyes searching for either Mai or Makoto. The heat pouring out of his body was enough to make her sweat through the cold rain.

Meeting Carmen's blue eyes, Takuya growled. "Where are they? I'll kill them."

"Takuya," she began calmly, "if you don't stop, you'll kill yourself."

He wasn't listening. He was trying to though. Takuya could feel his mind trying to fight against the instincts this dark energy was pouring in to him. "I-I can't stop," he whimpered, and for a moment, Carmen caught sight of his brown eyes just before they turned black again and his face contorted back in to a dark, feral snarl.

"Think of her, Takuya," she whispered, "think of Izumi…and how if you don't settle down you could hurt her."

"_They _hurt her, not me!" he spat, his voice hardly his own.

"Yes, but you could kill her! She needs to be healed! The sooner you stop this, the faster we can do that for her," Carmen shouted at him, and this time she struck a chord.

The blue fire in Takuya's hands extinguished with the clenching of his fists and his eyes lit up once again. He began shaking his head, trying to rid the dark thoughts suffocating his mind, and soon his eyes searched everywhere for Izumi. Suddenly, everything went quiet; the rain stopped and the thunder now a distant scream.

The golden haired Hero was barely conscious, and shivering all over. Kouichi attempted to search his bag for a blanket, but all of them were wet from the rain. When Takuya tried to make his way over to her, Kouji jumped in front of him-still uncertain if he was volatile or not. The Hero of Fire growled, but did nothing for he began to understand why everyone's guard was still up. Though he barely remembered exactly what happened, Takuya could recall the feeling of immense power coursing through his veins, it had been tingling all over his body. Some of the energy still remained, but as his high began to wear off, Takuya felt himself growing unsteady and dizzy.

All of a sudden, he doubled over and vomited all over the ground. Davis ran up to help his comrade keep steady.

"Now what's happening?" Kouji asked, more irritated than concerned.

"His body is feeling the aftershock of using such power," Thalin answered, regretfully, "He could still die." The philosopher let Kouichi take his place next to Izumi while he went over to Takuya. Carefully, he and Davis helped him to the floor so that he could lie down for a moment.

Izumi watched through half-closed eyes as Takuya began to convulse on the ground. She let out a painful breath, the arrow still throbbing inside her flesh. She could feel her blood seep through her clothes, and noticed the red stains on the ground beneath her. Yet, though she was bleeding out and whenever she breathed a sharp pain erupted in her chest, Izumi wanted to go to Takuya. She really began to worry when his seizures did not let up. Stirring, she tried to call out to him, but her mouth was as dry as sand and all she could manage was a whisper. "Takuya…" and with that she fell in to darkness.

* * *

His eyes fluttered open. No longer was he in the blood soaked forest floor…no, he lay on a blanket in front of a fire. Groaning, Takuya blinked, trying to rid the remaining sleep from his eyes. As his sight began to adjust to the dim light, he spotted Thalin lounging next to him, leaning up against a nearby tree with his feet propped up by a rock.

"So you've awoken," the old scholar muttered, "finally…"

Takuya began to sit up, but the blood quickly rushed to his head causing him to feel disoriented again.

"I would just sit still and contemplate what you've done, Takuya," Thalin said gravely, with no humor whatsoever in his tone, "you put all the Heroes in danger today."

Takuya turned sharply to glare at the philosopher. "Oh, really? I did not know driving Makoto and his rogues away was risking anyone's life," he snapped wearily, not wanting to have this discussion.

Thalin, however was not about to drop it. "It was _how_ you did it, dammit! Do you even realize how out of control you became? And why? Izumi, that's why. You completely misused your powers because you let your emotions take over your thoughts. Kalin was right to have you separated from the group. You were not ready."

"I knew what I was doing," Takuya growled, resenting Thalin at this moment. Kalin as well-and this ridiculous duty. "We were in danger anyway."

The philosopher sighed. He shook his head gravely. "If this happens again, you will no longer be allowed to travel with us. Realize what you've done before it's too late," Thalin whispered, "or you'll end up like your grandfather."

Takuya could not take this anymore. Slowly, he began to stand to his feet, his body was still weak. The Hero stretched for a minute while observing the camp scene. The knights were fast asleep near the fire, along with Davis and Roran. Past them, Takuya noticed a small tent set up, and he saw that there was light coming from inside. "Is Izumi in there?" he asked.

Thalin just about rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Yes. Esper and Carmen are tending to her. You may go see her if you wish…no one can stop you." He muttered.

Takuya ignored him. Thalin was right after all; no one could stop him from seeing Izumi, not now or ever. Upon entering the tent, the Hero of Fire saw Carmen and Esper kneeling at Izumi's side. The two women looked up upon hearing his footsteps.

The elven maid could not help but sigh, "We are in the middle of something, Takuya."

The dark-haired rebel glanced at Carmen, who was manipulating water through Izumi's wound. He was surprised to find the water glowing as the rebel leader fed it in to the pierced flesh. The arrow had already been carefully taken out. "What are you doing?" he asked, kneeling beside them.

"I'm trying to heal her," Carmen answered, irritation coating her tone, "don't you remember? It's part of my gift. I can use water to speed up the healing process of flesh and ensure that the wound does not get infected."

"She's already tended to the others who were wounded," Esper said, her copper eyes trying to meet Takuya's, but his gaze was too intent of Izumi's sleeping form. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

The rebel shook his head, his brown eyes unmoving. "I'm fine. How long has she been unconscious?"

"It's been about four hours. She slips in and out of sleep. Taking out the arrow was difficult. She was in so much pain," Carmen whispered, finishing up her aquatic therapy.

Takuya ran a hand through his thick hair in frustration. He could not stand the thought of her hurting; it only made him want to kill Makoto even more. Muttering an oath, Takuya took a deep breath to calm himself down. "So now what?"

"We wait, Takuya," Carmen groaned impatiently, exhaustion beginning to take over her body, "it's already two hours past midnight. We need to bandage her shoulder now."

Takuya then noticed that the only thing covering Izumi's body were the blankets keeping her warm, and they only came up to cover the top of her breasts. Her shoulders, neck, and arms were all left bare; glowing in the dim firelight. Her rose, red lips were slightly parted as she breathed, and her gold hair loose and untamed around the pillow. He just wanted to feel her soft skin underneath his lips and kiss her pain away.

"Takuya, you should go while we finish," Esper said curtly, not happy to be sensing the rebel's thoughts at the moment.

"Oh, right," he nodded, "let me know when you are done." He then left to wait outside the tent.

Once he was gone, Carmen turned to Esper, concern in her blue eyes. "I have never seen Takuya so…distressed,"

The elven maid looked up at her companion. "He's in love with her-whether he knows it or not," Esper whispered softly, as if trying convince herself.

A small smile formed on Carmen's lips. "You know this because you feel it?"

Esper nodded, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is a bad thing?" the rebel leader sighed.

"Because his emotions are what caused him to nearly kill himself today…and us," Esper answered placidly, "also, I think this was what Kalin was trying to avoid by separating the two."

Carmen finished up bandaging Izumi's shoulder, while thinking about what the elf had said. After she was completely done, the rebel leader called Takuya back in. She noticed Esper stand to leave. "Where are you going?" Carmen inquired in a whisper.

"I'm going to give them some privacy," the elven maid responded softly watching Takuya make his way back to Izumi's side. With a small, almost sad smile, she added, "I can feel her beginning to wake up."

Carmen let out a breath of relief. "Alright, I'll come with you," she said, then turning to Takuya she continues, "We will be right back,"

He nods, and hears the tent flap open and close as the women made their exit. Just as they left, Izumi began to stir. Takuya gingerly takes hold of her delicate hand to find it nearly as cold as ice. He begins to generate more heat to warm her up. The gesture caused a sigh to leave her lips. Slowly, her bright eyes began to open.

"Mm, Takuya?" she says softly, her hand beginning to try and lift itself up to touch his face. "Are you alright?"

Lowering his head to meet her touch, he chuckles. "_You _arethe one who took an hour to the shoulder and you're asking me if _I_ am okay?" Takuya then turns his lips slightly to kiss her palm.

Izumi's lips twitch in to a small smile. "It was not that bad. I hardly remember most of what happened…" she continues,"…you need to shave,"

Again, Takuya laughs, leaning down to gently press his lips against hers. Upon hearing her moan, he kisses her harder; his tongue eagerly entering her mouth.

"Ouch," Izumi grimaced when she tried to move her hand up though his hair, which strained her shoulder.

Instantly, Takuya pulled away, guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he breathes, frustrated with himself. Was his self-control really as bad as Thalin said it was when it came to Izumi?

"Sh, it's alright," she says, comforting him, "it was my fault. I got excited." She smiles shyly, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink in the firelight.

Her words caused even Takuya to turn red, for he realized again that she was indecent underneath her blankets. "Yes, well," he muttered, clearing his throat, "that makes two of us."

Izumi beamed, caressing the side of his head with her fingers. For a few minutes it was quiet. They simply gazed at each other like fools pretending to live in a perfect world that only existed for the two of them. However, her smile began to fade. The wind outside the tent began to pick up and she could hear it whisper to her.

_Takuya is dangerous…He will kill you…run away…_

Izumi's brows furrowed. The voices sounded urgent. Why were they talking about him like that? Something he did must have made them distressed. As she thought about it, bits of her memory began to piece together. The shouts, the fire-the _blue_ fire-the sensation of raw elemental power; it was all coming back to her.

"Izumi?" he queried, watching as her emerald eyes glazed over in thought.

"Takuya," she murmured, still with a far-off look, "what did you do?"

* * *

Haishin stood on the balcony of his chambers. Ester was looking more dark and desolate each passing day. The smoke from his new factory clouded the sky and blocked the sunlight. Soon his army of rogues would be ready, and the Kingdom of Renai would finally fall. The Heroes would not stand a chance.

"We have a problem," Kane announced, walking up entrance of the balcony with three knights following behind.

Haishin growled, running a hand through his slick, black hair. He hated it when peopled disturbed his thoughts. Turning around sharply, the Dark Hero glared at his general. "It better be a big problem," he snarled.

Kane stiffened, trying not to show the fear that began to creep in to his face. "Makoto's mission has been delayed seeing as that his first attack on the Heroes has been rebuffed."

"Rebuffed?" Haishin practically laughed, "what do you mean rebuffed? He took with him over fifty rogues. Tell me he at least killed one of them."

"Um, well apparently there were complications…" Kane spoke, his voice struggling to keep steady, "it seems as though one of the Heroes-Takuya Kanbara-uh, well since I am not quite sure what Makoto is talking about, I am simply going to read you his message word to word."

"Be quick about!" Haishin snapped, already on edge at the mere mention of Takuya's name.

"He says, '_When he tried attacking the Heroes, Takuya lost control when one of the rogues shot the countess, Izumi Orimoto, in the shoulder. His fire turned blue and his eyes went black. We had to flee the scene before he killed all of us. I fear that he has activated the darkness within him.'_" Kane finished reading the message, which was crudely written on a piece of parchment paper.

Haishin stilled. His face turned to stone as thoughts began to swirl about his mind. Realization was slowly beginning to bring a smirk upon his lips. "Tell Makoto that Takuya has not activated anything. He is still uncontrolled and cannot call the power upon will," Haishin sighed, and began repeating words from the message as if trying to ingrain them in to his memory. "When the countess was shot…Tell Makoto needs to be careful about attacking Takuya's friends in front of him or the man will set everything up in flames…he needs to be separated…cornered."

"Yes, sire," Kane bowed, but before turning to leave, he asked, "My king, I understand that you wish the Heroes to die…but if I could convince my sons to join us, would you allow them to?"

Haishin pretended to think about it for a moment. "Yes. If they agree and swear their loyalty to me, by all means. But if they do not, they must die."

"I understand," Kane nodded, and after that, he and his knights left leaving Haishin alone again with his thoughts.

The Dark Hero looked back out in to the dreary horizon. A cold shiver crept up his spine. He knew who was coming.

"Funny how similar this situation is," hissed an all too familiar voice. Zaigou was dressed in his usual black robe and hood. His face as pale as snow, and eyes as beady as a snake. "It will be a lot easier to destroy Takuya than I thought."

Haishin narrowed his gaze with suspicion. "What do you mean? Takuya is completely volatile. One false move and we're all dead!" the Dark Hero growled, "How on earth is he this powerful! No on is supposed to be more powerful than me! You promised!"

"Silence, you ignorant fool," Zaigou snarled back, "you missed one vital part. Makoto said when a rogue shot Izumi Orimoto, Takuya unleashed his power-probably out of anger. "

"What are you saying?" Haishin stopped for a moment to ponder the answer to his own question.

Impatiently, the hooded God responded, "I am saying that Takuya is foolishly in love with the girl. This means we can easily use this to our advantage. Through her we will not even have to kill him….He will willingly join us."

Haishin merely stared at Zaigou, eyes wide. "_What_?"

"They are two Heroes in love. Soon the others are going to try and betray them…just like they did with you,"

The Dark Heroes face darkened ten folds, and his fists clenched as a dark energy began to illuminate within them. "It is a different time. The other Heroes cannot risk betraying each other. They know they can only win together!"

"You're wrong," Zaigou scoffed, "right now, they are all panicked. Takuya not only nearly killed your rogues when he lost control, but he almost destroyed his own comrades. They know he is a threat-and they know now that when it comes to Izumi, he would kill them all if any were to harm her…just like you would have with Hikari."

"Don't say her name!" Haishin roared, turning away from the God of Shadows sharply.

"Use this to get what you want!" Zaigou pressed, "Takuya align with us and with him Izumi! Think of how powerful you could be with such strong allies."

"Use Izumi…?" Haishin shook his head, his brows furrowed with such internal pain of the memories that came flashing before his eyes. "Just like you used Hikari…?"

"Don't be stupid, Haishin," the God of Darkness rolled his eyes, "you're the one who killed her, not me. I tried to help, but Hikari did not truly love you, otherwise she would have followed you."

Haishin buried his face within his hands. He growled back the tears that threatened to fall from his black, emotionless eyes. She loved him, she had _always_ loved him. His rage burned over his sorrow, and when the Dark Hero turned back to defy Zaigou's words, he found that the God had vanished.

* * *

Glandur had ruled the elves for over 300 years. He was wise enough to know that his kind should not get involved with a war that did not involve them. However, the fair, dark haired elf knew that it was also wise to listen to a Goddess. After Saki's many attempt to involve the council with discussion of the Dark War at hand, Kalin decided to intervene.

"You must fight or the world as you know it will be lost in to darkness, and your kind will slowly die within it," she said, the seriousness on her face expressed more desperation than truth.

Glandur sighed, looking out of his platform. The slight breeze travelling through the forest, swept his long hair back and forth. "How do I know you do not say such things only to scare us? The last time the Heroes were in danger we assisted and failed anyway, with hundreds of our kind lost in the battle."

"You did not fail last time." Kalin responded quickly, almost urgently, "The last war bid us more time to prepare for this one. If you do not finish what you started, the deaths of all who fought back then will be in vain."

Saki, who had been sitting quietly in a chair near the corner of the room, stood. "Glandur, please. My husband needs all the allies we can give him. If Haishin's armies are not stopped, the Heroes will not have a world left to defend."

"Do not refer to me by my name," the elven leader snapped, frustrated under all of the stress, "you, who ran away from our tribe years ago, have no place here. And you certainly do not have a place with me."

"Stop this," Kalin ordered, trying to ease the tension, "fate called her to leave. And you of all should know that one does not disobey fate's orders easily."

Glandur merely glared at the two of them in response and turned back around sharply to the view of the forest canopy. The blue lights of elven settlement illuminated the night, reflecting off the leaves and branches of the trees they sat on. Even small fairies could be seen fluttering by, giggling to one another as they left trails of glowing dust in their wake. The moonflowers were in full bloom, and their petals only added to the purple and blue lights. It was beautiful-all of it. "I cannot risk the armies coming here," he whispered, his light eyes downcast, "why ask this of me? Why not ask our brothers in mountains? Or in the desert?"

"They will be asked as well," Kalin whispered, "by you. We need all of you. Glandur, if you do not fight, all of this will be lost anyway."

The elven leader looked back up, his face emotionless. There were a few long moments of silence before he spoke again. "Leave. Please. I need time alone to think."

Kalin nodded. "Very well." Turning to Saki, the goddess said, "Let us go."

* * *

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the forest elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Glandur: Leader of the Forest Elves

-Mai: Hero of Earth, but works for Haishin

-Awai, Renai, and Aernal: more of the gods, each symbolizing the different kingdoms.

-Takashi and Kyoya: spies for Akeno

-Thalin: Philosopher/Scholar who had dedicated his life to studying the Heroes.

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	21. Temptation

_****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

**********************************Thanks for your patience! and your reviews! :) I love hearing from you all! So right now I have another amazing story idea that I'm starting (I know I'm bad...I should really wait until I finish this story...) but anywhoo I probably will not release any of the chapters until this story is completed but just to give you a little heads up, it is going to be COMPLETELY different from the stories I've written so far. Think of it like a darker, more mature twist of the actual frontier series...but yea, that is coming your way much later, so enjoy this fic while ya can ;) **

Also, I'm still confused as to who I should pair Esper up with...Tomoki or Roran...I need input people! :D Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**_Chapter 20:  
_**_Temptation_

* * *

Akeno swung hard and fast just before his enemy could swing down upon him. The heavy sword managed to bury itself deep in to the dark knight's side, slicing right through the black armor he bore. Akeno spat as his opponent's blood splattered all over his chainmail and face, painting him red like a canvas. The general then kicked the dead body off his blade in order to proceed to his next attacker. The dark armies of the north were slowly creeping past Renai's borders. Akeno and Solomon's armies could not hold them off much longer, for they have already been pushed so far south. The two men had come to realize that whenever the odds seemed to be in their favor, Haishin would send more knights-enchanted and human. Akeno soon had accepted that they were not battling to win the war, but to win time. Time for the Heroes to perform their duties and restore this bloody world.

"Look out, sire!" Kyoya shouted amongst the clashing swords and cries of the dying.

Akeno looked up just in time to duck as a dark mass of energy flew by inches above his graying hair. The general gave his comrade a brief nod of thanks before drawing his dagger from his belt and hurling it at the knight who had sent the attack. The blade pierced the man right in the throat, knocking him off his feet and right to the floor in a pool of dark blue blood. Quickly, Akeno jogged over to retrieve his weapon, but when he made his way over to the body, another one of Haishin's knights, wearing a full set of black armor with the northern kingdom dragon insignia on the breastplate, stepped out of the crowd to lunge at the general.

Before Akeno had a chance to even block the attack, the knight was shot right through one of the grates of his helmet in the eye. Impressed, the general turned to see Takashi standing a few yards away with a triumphant smile upon his young face. "That was one hell of a shot, if I may say so myself," the knight wearing Renai's colors of blue and gold, boasted.

Akeno gave his soldier a small smile. "Now is not the time to get arrogant."

The bloodbath continued on. Everywhere the general looked, his men and enemies were being slaughtered in an array of blood-spray. The battlefield, which had once been a gorgeous green meadow, was now trampled into dirt and bodies replaced the flowers, which would usually be in bloom this time of year. Akeno's heart sank. This was not the world he wanted for his family; it was not the world he wanted for his people. War came upon them abruptly, with little time to react.

"The Dark Army is retreating for the day!" cried one of his soldiers, riding on his stallion towards the general, who nodded, grateful for the news.

"We live to fight another day then," Akeno panted, exhaustion seeping in to his bones as the adrenaline declined.

Takashi sheathed his sword as his grey eyes watched the enemy disappear in to the camps just over the hill a few miles away. He turned to Kyoya, who was standing next to him covered in blood and grime, and said grimly, "We will not last much longer. You saw those factories, they are churning out more soldiers than this. Haishin's still waiting for something."

"But what," Akeno interrupted, overhearing the young knight's words. The general sighed, "we would do better to hope and pray that the Gods know what they're doing."

"The Gods don't give a damn," Kyoya growled, too tired to move. All over his body ached with bruises and cuts.

Akeno turned sharply to him with glaring eyes. "It is faith like that which has caused our kind to be in this situation. Believe and the Heroes will come."

The two were silenced at that for the time being. The trip back to camp was silent except for the clanking of armor and pounding of footsteps. The army practically sighed in unison as they arrived to their red and yellow striped tents, and to the smell of food roasting over fires.

Solomon was quick to greet Akeno, the old king's face determined. This only meant that he had a plan. "We need to destroy the factories."

"What?" Akeno groaned, his mind still clouded by the image of battle.

"If we destroy the factories, we destroy his reinforcements."

"Sire, we have no men to spare! We cannot be sending soldiers in to certain death only to _try_. How would they destroy such a structure anyway?"

"No, I am not saying we send our knights, Akeno," Solomon explained patiently, "I am saying we should ask the Heroes to do it."

The general paused. "Are the Heroes not finding reinforcements? Have you asked Kalin?"

"Asked me what?" the goddess asked, suddenly appearing beside the old king.

Akeno sighed, lowering his head. "You certainly have good timing."

"We need to ask you if it is possible for the some of the Heroes to go and destroy the factories creating Haishin's army. Not only will it buy all of us more time, but it could seriously injure the Dark Hero's plans." Solomon suggested, confidence in his voice as he spoke with renewed hope.

Kalin blinked. "Are you asking me to send some of the most important beings in this war in to the heart of the Dark Kingdom? That is absolutely absurd! They are not ready for that type of mission!"

"Surely some must be!" Solomon argued, "if this is not done, there very well might not be an army for your reinforcements to reinforce!" The king growled lowly in frustration. "I cannot bear to see these men dying all for the sake of time that can be saved."

The goddess quieted. She did not like the idea, but unfortunately it sounded necessary. Time was not on their side, and the Heroes had only just begun their search for help. Kalin tried to hide her growing anxiety towards the situation, but nothing was going as planned. She would have to find Thalin; she would have to find her Heroes.

* * *

Izumi's mind was troubled. Ever since the night she first heard the winds speak warningly about Takuya, their voices only grew more alarmed whenever he was near. She spoke to Thalin about this. He then told her everything that happened during the battle between the rogues. However, Izumi just could not believe that Takuya was as out of control as the scholar made him out to be. He was stronger than that, he was only worried for all of them. Izumi wanted to believe it would not happen again.

"It will happen again," Thalin had warned, "and next time he could kill us all,"

"You don't know that," Izumi had countered, not appreciating the philosopher's lack of faith in Takuya.

Thalin had given her a look of sympathy. "Izumi, I am going to let you in on a secret I hope you intend to keep very well," he sighed, "the Heroes were not allowed to fall in love with one another. Why? Two reasons: the first being the bloodline would be tainted, and so Kalin would have to strip their powers and give them to new people for the child of two Heroes would not be allowed to wield two elements. The second being that their emotions would be too closely linked to their duty."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Izumi had inquired, frustrated she had not heard of this before.

"Because Haishin fell in love with a Hero and it only brought him ruin," Thalin had answered, gravely, "and this was when Kalin was too weak to prevent it by stripping them of their elements-just like she is too weak now. Not only did Haishin's wife bear a tainted child, but she was the reason he brought all this darkness upon the world. When she died, he lost control…"

This had silenced Izumi for the time being. She knew very well what his intention had been by telling her Haishin's tale, and the reason only made her heart sink down in to her stomach and the tears to well up in her eyes. Thalin was looking out for her well-being as well as the others. He was worried that she would bring Takuya to ruin.

"Are you alright?" Takuya asked in a whisper after walking up next to her.

Izumi snapped out of her thoughts instantly. She turned to give him a small, comforting smile but that dark, smoldering gaze almost penetrated her façade as she struggled to keep it up whenever she looked in to his eyes. He was so handsome. Sometimes Izumi found herself just staring at him; admiring his warm features that always seemed to melt her heart. Even here, out in the open, it was a struggle for her not to reach up and touch his jaw with her fingers, or even plant her lips upon his. She could not give him up.

"Yes," Izumi breathed, "I'm fine."

Takuya did not look convinced. He was about to press the subject when Tomoki spoke up with excitement. "We're close!"

"How do you know? I feel like we've been walking around in circles," Junpei huffed, his brown eyes wearily on Takuya. He had been cautious of the rebel ever since he realized how the Hero of Fire felt for Izumi. The knight was even more dismayed to notice that she seemed to return Takuya's affections. Junpei was not an idiot, he observed the way she blushed whenever the rebel was near and the way the two gazed at each other even from a distance. Everyone seemed to know now…except for Kouichi of course, who was either in denial or too in love with her to see that she had found someone else. It was true that even Junpei cared for Izumi, after all he had been her father's knight for several years, but he was more of an admirer of her beauty. He could not say that he had ever been deeply in love with her.

"I know these woods like the back of my hands," Tomoki grinned, "I'm sure we'll be greeted by some of Leon's bandits soon enough."

"Aye, or Leon himself," came a familiar voice from the thicket. The large bearded bandit himself stepped in to view with that familiar eye patch over his right eye and pipe in his mouth. With him were a few other men Izumi recognized but could not name. Leon smiled at Tomoki, "well, lad, it has been quite a while since we last saw ya 'round these parts, eh?"

The ranger jogged up in order to shake his friend's hand, but Leon merrily brought the young Hero in to an embrace. "Good to see you too, sir," Tomoki grunted under Leon's powerful grip.

"I see you brought your friends again," the bandit leader chuckled, then eyed Takuya, "and a few others."

"Yes, well," Tomoki started, a bit unsure how to go about explaining their return, "there's something we need to tell you…"

* * *

"Well this is quite a situation…" Leon grumbled upon hearing everything down to the last detail. Tomoki had explained to him most of what happened between his leaving and his returning, along with the state of the kingdoms currently. A few other bandits, close to Leon, were inside his tent hearing the explanations as well.

Aran, one bandit Izumi recognized, scratched his newly growing beard while responding in a more irritated manner. "Why does this involve us, though?"

"Well, let me think about it-oh yes, if there are no people left in the world then there are no people for you to rob," Tomoki answered curtly, "this involves you too. Haishin will not stop until every inch of Kamora is his. He will kill you all as well."

"Still, you are talking about Heroes, Tomoki," Aran continued, "ancient magic! Absurdities that are not real. You are mad for believing in such things."

"Am I really?" the ranger question, dipping his finger in to the bandit's ale, freezing it in a matter of seconds. Aran let go of his drink instantly, completely angered. "It doesn't stop there. We all have abilities to control different elements," Tomoki continued, motioning to Takuya, Izumi, Carmen, Roran, Junpei, and Kouji. "We will destroy Haishin…but we need more time."

"What are you going to do to the dark king, exactly? Bash him over the head with a frozen drink?" Aran scoffed, "If everything you say is really true, then you will not be able to defeat someone so powerful anyway."

"Together we can," Takuya suddenly announced, all eyes on him now, "and with the help of the Gods."

"The _Gods?!_ You are bringing the mythical deities in to this now?" the bandits all began to throw up arguments and concerns when Leon hushed them with the raise of a hand.

"They are very much real," Takuya smiled, crossing his arms over his chest, "pray to Kalin and she will reveal herself to you all."

Leon sighed. "Honestly, even I have to say this is all a bit ridiculous-,"

"No, wait," Tomoki cut in, nodding at Takuya's words, "he's right you know. If we all pray, Kalin will come. And then you'll all see."

Again, Leon let out a long, unsure breath. For some reason, the bandit leader wanted all this to be real. For Tomoki's sake, for maybe then would the ranger be able to assume his rightful position in this world. It had been such a waste to see the bright young man spend his days here, though Leon always loved having him around. So before he could think twice about it, the bandit leader closed his eyes and began to summon whatever faith he had. Thalin followed suit and then the Heroes. Aran and the other bandits all watched with irritated frustration on their brow.

After five minutes of pointless silence, the bandits grew tired of waiting. Even Takuya was wondering where the hell she was, the one time he actually _wanted_ her around.

"You called?" inquired that all too familiar voice, and the Heroes seemed let out a united sigh. Kalin appeared to them all wearing her hood down so that all could see her pupiless eyes and tattooed face. Izumi could sense a new strength surging through the goddess as she stood tall and proud.

"Your timing is certainly impeccable," Takuya smirked.

"Well, damn," Leon muttered, immediately standing at attention. One by one the faces of the bandits brightened with surprise. They began muttering amongst themselves, incredulously and frightened. None had ever believed in such myths before and yet, here stood one of the deities from the stories they heard as children.

"I suppose you are here to confirm that everything the-er, Heroes-said is true," Leon continued, his widened eyes now on Tomoki and a ghost of a smile upon his lips.

"Shame on your for not believing when you heard, but only when you saw," Kalin responded, her face void of emotion as usual, "but yes, that is my purpose for being here. You are to ride out with reinforcements and assist the combined armies of Awai and Renai under the command of King Silos…the only king left living."

The room was silent for a few moments before Aran spoke up again, "What? With what army of our own? We do not have enough men to make a difference,"

"Don't speak to her like that," Tomoki growled, tired of his comrades being so selfish, "and you know very well that Leon has followers all over Kamora as well as up and down these mountains. The promise of loyalty is just as strong among bandits as it is among knights. They will ride out with him if he asks."

Leon scratched his beard completely overwhelmed. One moment he doing what he does best the next he is asked to be a part of a war. "I appreciate your faith in me, Tomoki, and I must say I am given so much hope upon seeing you, Kalin, Goddess of Peace," Leon began, sinking back in his chair, an ache beginning to grow within his head, "but I must ask for time to think. This is certainly quite a demanding task…and I fear I must speak to my men, or else they will be reluctant to follow my orders."

Kalin nodded in understanding. "Of course. But make sure that you realize something. If you do not fight, you will all come to an end at some point or another under Haishin's sword," she spoke low and morbidly, "so do not think that you are protecting your bandits by not involving them."

"I understand," Leon replied after a short pause.

The goddess then turned to her Heroes. "I must now speak to Thalin in private."

The old man was quick to excuse himself out of the tent and follow Kalin out in to the crisp, night air. Leon then looked back at the Demigods and said, "Please, make yourself at home. There are two empty tents sitting on the southern edge of camp. Tomoki will show you the way."

* * *

The Heroes were quick to settle in to the two tents. One was smaller, so the three girls made themselves comfortable there, while the men took the larger tent. Roran and Takuya unpacked their belongings and to retrieve cots from the stables where they kept extras. On the way there, the grey eyed rebel looked at his comrade with concern. Takuya had been lost in thought for quite some time and had been generally quiet. His brow was furrowed with either frustration or irritation, and Roran had never seen him stay so tense for so long. However, the sandy haired Hero knew that his friend was changing. They were all changing; everyday. But somehow, Takuya was becoming less like himself, more worried and withdrawn. Roran recalled the days where his comrade was so carefree it annoyed him. Hell, he had even envied the younger rebel for his outlook on life.

"I think we'll only need a couple more," Takuya announced, picking up one last crudely made bed while tucking in some old ragged sheets under his arm, "we might need extra blankets. It gets quite cold up in these mountains."

"I thought you don't get cold," Roran smirked.

"I don't," Takuya returned his friend's crooked smile, "but you and the others might need them."

For a fleeting moment, Roran almost recognized the old Takuya, but just as quickly as he came he left. "Are you," the grey eyed rebel began, "are you alright, Takuya?"

The brown eyed Hero looked confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I'm not sure," Roran replied, looking forward as they approached the tents once again, "ever since the encounter with Makoto, you've been more quiet than usual…you know if something is bothering you, you can tell me. I love you like a brother and shall hear you out as one as well."

Takuya gave his comrade a wry smile. "Roran, I lost control in the middle of battle and apparently almost killed everyone. Excuse me for being quieter than usual."

"But we still love you," Davis appeared, squeezing in between his two friends to throw his arms around their shoulders, "what's some hardcore battle without a bit of excitement?"

Roran rolled his eyes, while Takuya simply had to crack a laugh. The picture of the three rebels brought him back to older times, where life actually seemed easier then. Takuya missed his days as a rebel…but one look at Izumi, he knew that he would have chosen this path any day.

Later that night, after the Heroes all finished setting up their cots and blankets, Takuya decided to walk the woods in order to gather firewood. The night was clear and filled with stars. Crickets sang in the night and small fairies could be seen zooming past the trees. He could wander around here for hours, simply getting lost in nature.

"They fear you…"

Takuya whipped around so quickly, he dropped the logs he had collected and drew his sword. In front of him stood a black-cloaked figure with a face was shrouded by a hood.

"Who are you?" Takuya groaned, not in the mood for meeting mysterious strangers.

"Many know me by Zaigou," the dark figure replied, "but you should not be so concerned as to who I am, young Hero, when your friends are plotting against you."

Takuya gave him an odd look. "Get out of my sight."

"Oh my, you carry so much anger," Zaigou chuckled, "that's good. Let me guess, Thalin has told you to suppress that. Foolish man. He has such little faith in you."

"W-what do you mean?" the young Hero began to question, growing more confused by the second.

"Using anger to fuel your power makes your abilities limitless," the dark figure explained, "but of course, Thalin thinks you cannot control yourself, so instead of making you more powerful, he and the others want to betray you."

"Why would they betray me?" Takuya glanced at the ground, trying to rid the thoughts-these lies. They had to be lies.

"Because they know about you and Izumi. They will try and destroy you both for they think you are each other's weaknesses. But you can stop them," Zaigou urged, with a hiss.

"Izumi's in danger?" Takuya clutched his forehead, falling against a tree trunk from a sudden wave of disorientation, "H-How would I, uh, stop them?"

"Very simple. Kill Haishin, and all the powers I bestowed upon him will become yours. I will make sure of it. You will become unstoppable and powerful enough to protect everyone you love."

The young Hero's head snapped up all of a sudden. "_You_? You're the reason Haishin's so powerful in the first place?"

Zaigou sighed. "I gifted my powers to the wrong person. I can assure you it will not happen again. I never though Haishin would grow to be so weak-minded…but I now realize that you are twice the man he is, and with my help you can set things right in this precious world of yours and be free to be with Izumi forever. You need me."

Takuya started to shake his head. It sounded to good to be true. "I do not need you. My friends would never betray me."

The dark figure shrugged. "It is your choice, young Hero, but you know you want what I can give you. When they try and separate you from her again, you will see what I mean."

With that, Zaigou vanished in to the shadows.

* * *

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the forest elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Glandur: Leader of the Forest Elves

-Mai: Hero of Earth, but works for Haishin

-Awai, Renai, and Aernal: more of the gods, each symbolizing the different kingdoms.

-Takashi and Kyoya: spies for Akeno

-Thalin: Philosopher/Scholar who had dedicated his life to studying the Heroes.

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


	22. Inevitable

_****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__Shadowed Flame  
_**A Digimon Fanfic  
****by Krystal Karpenter**

_Thanks again for your patience guys...things have just been SO busy. Here is the next chapter. It contains more romance than anything else. Next chapter I'l try and pick up the pace again, but I just need to get this out of the way so I can get past this dumb writer's block! Anywho, here ya go :) Please R&R_

* * *

_**Chapter 21:  
**Inevitable_

* * *

"We have decided," Leon said, speaking directly to Thalin while the Heroes stood behind him, "We will fight for your king."

Tomoki beamed. He walked up to wrap the bandit leader in a tight embrace. "Brilliant!" the ranger exclaimed, "You must call your allies as well! They will fight with you if you ask them to, I know it!"

Leon could not help but chuckle at the young Hero's enthusiasm. "Yes, well, when shall we be off? And who is leading us to the king's army?"

"I will," Thalin responded before Tomoki could, "the Heroes have other tasks that are needed to perform. We all leave tomorrow morning."

"Other tasks?" Izumi questioned.

"Yes," the scholar nodded, "the Heroes must split up. For the time being, at least."

Takuya glanced up and narrowed his gaze suspiciously. Zaigou's dark words whispering in his ear, _They will try and separate you from her…_"For what purpose?" he queried.

Thalin cleared his throat before answering. "Carmen, Roran, Davis, and Kouichi, will need to go back to Ester and find the rebels. The king will need their skill and numbers. Takuya, Izumi, Kouji, Junpei, and Tomoki, you all will need to go to Bethel. You must take out a factory that is creating the rogues. Haishin is churning out numbers too disconcerting. Esper, you may chose who you wish too accompany. However, both are equally dangerous missions. The enemy is everywhere, and his powers are great."

The dark, auburn-haired Hero immediately relaxed. He would not have to part from Izumi, and the dark cloud within his thoughts vanished for the time being.

_I am glad we are to still be together_, Izumi told Takuya, using the wind to whisper her thoughts. She was smiling at him smally, but her bright eyes were dismayed. If it had been her way, everyone would be able to stay together, but time was against them.

Takuya gave her a reassuring smile. _Me as well,_ he mouthed across the large fire they all stood around in the center of the bandit camp. It seemed as if he had not been alone with her for days, and he itched to comfort her.

Izumi wanted nothing more but to see him. However, she was still fearful over what Thalin had told her. Was there no hope for the two of them? Could she truly be the one to bring Takuya ruin? There was no way of knowing. Yet, Izumi did not want to regret not being with him when she could. In her heart, she could sense their paths beginning to take different directions. Soon, he would have to go one way and she another. All of the Heroes held different fates apart from one another.

"Go, get your sleep," Thalin said, dismissing the Heroes, "tomorrow begins the change of the tide."

* * *

Later that night, while the air was still and quiet, the sounds of sleep echoed about the camp. However, Izumi had not been able to fall in to any sort of slumber. She felt oddly cold and empty as she stared at the ceiling of her tent while lying motionless in her cot. She needed comfort, and knew where to find it.

Silently, Izumi crept out of her bed, and tiptoed outside. She travelled across to the tent where the men slept, and was greeted by the sound of deep breathing and heavy snoring upon entering. Blinking in order to adjust to the night's darkness, Izumi glanced around in order to spot the man that made her heart leap with joy and fear. Eagerly, she made her way gracefully over to his cot. For a moment, she did not wish to wake him. He looked so beautiful with his features at ease; his thickly lashed eyes were closed, his dark hair an utter, adorable mess, and his mouth hung slightly ajar.

She had to have him.

Izumi's insides stirred while her instincts pushed her to shake him awake. Yet, Takuya did not even stir. Izumi then tried to whisper to him. "Takuya," she murmured, careful not to disturb the others, "Takuya, wake up,"

Still nothing.

Izumi rolled her eyes and decided to try something else. _Takuya, wake up,_ she urged, speaking to his mind while tracing the outline of his jaw, _Takuya_.

His dark eyes flickered open. It took a little bit to adjust to the moonlight , but he was quick to recognize the angel in front of him. Her soft, gold hair was completely down, tumbling about her shoulders in a mess of curls, and those glimmering green eyes were filled with need. "Izumi," he muttered, still under sleep's fog, "are you alright?"

"Shh," she hushed him, placing a delicate hand over his mouth for he was speaking way too loud given the circumstance. "Follow me," Izumi smiled, taking his hands and leading him out of the tent.

Takuya grinned as he continued to follow her in to the forest, where the moon illuminated to path and the chill of the air was cool and pleasant against his skin. The two finally stopped at a small clearing made up of a patch of smooth grass underneath the stars surrounded by the height of trees. "What is it, Izumi?" Takuya asked again, still smiling.

That boyish grin always disarmed the golden-haired Hero, causing her to lose her breath every time. "I couldn't sleep," she said simply, suddenly noticing that Takuya was shirtless for she had not allowed him time to even grab a proper covering. Izumi blushed, not being able to help the way her eyes lingered on the shape of his defined, muscular chest, and corded arms.

Takuya took a step closer to her, his face now serious as he tilted her chin up to meet his yearning gaze. "I missed you," he whispered, not being able to remember the last time he brought his lips over hers.

Izumi shivered. His breath felt warm and tingling across her skin. Her fingers boldly began to trace the lines on his torso, feeling every inch of skin and painting the picture of his beautiful body in her mind. "I missed you too," she breathed, hardly able to stand.

Slowly, Takuya kissed her. It was such a gentle gesture at first that Izumi hardly felt it. She leaned in to him to deepen the act, and slid her hands up to the back of his head in order to pull him down in to her even more. He forced her mouth open with his own and began exploring her lips with his tongue. She loved the way he tasted, and the way his warm body felt pressed up against the thin fabric of her nightgown.

His hands soon began roaming across her body, taking in the feel of her curves and cupping her breasts. She moaned against his mouth upon instinct. Izumi longed for more. "I need you," she gasped, pushing her body completely up against Takuya's allowing herself to feel every muscle in his body go rigid with desire.

"I've needed you since the moment I saw you," Takuya whispered, his kisses growing hungrier. He was quick to step out of his pants before helping Izumi slip her nightgown over her head. Takuya inhaled sharply at the sight of the golden-haired beauty nude before him. To him, it was like staring at perfection. "You're so beautiful," he muttered before continuing his attack on her full, red lips.

The two sank to the ground and made love there on the grass, underneath night's cover. Izumi thought she would never be so happy again, relishing every movement, every breath, every touch, every taste. She had found the comfort she sought, and silently hoped that she could be held like this forever.

* * *

In the morning, Thalin and the Heroes gathered once more to go over plans and discuss when to meet again. Izumi sat quietly, watching her friends dispute and settle certain issues. She had done so a countless amount of times. Nothing was different.

Yet, everything was different.

The skies held a bright tint of blue to them, and the color in her world seemed more vibrant all together. Her heart was swelling with joy despite the horror surrounding this world. However, it was split in two. One side was loyal to her duties, while a bigger portion had no doubt been completely given to a man; a man who had become the center and the sun of her own small world. Her strength, her life were now in his hands, and it terrified her to know that she could not take it back even if she wanted to.

She glanced up at the man, who now held her world together. He was glowing, and speaking animatedly about plans with the others. Izumi remembered feeling his full mouth on hers, and his strong hands roaming her body. And then he smiled-at something Davis must've said-and that grin was devastatingly gorgeous, she thought, too gorgeous.

Takuya glanced her way, and his smile grew even larger. Izumi felt her breath fail her. For someone who gave her so much strength, he could leave her utterly weak sometimes. His dark, warm gaze peered lovingly at her from underneath those thick lashes of his, and Izumi had to restrain herself from leaping in to his arms again.

"And so it's settled," Thalin stated, his voice grave, "I'll go with the bandits to meet the king's armies at the plains of Renai. Our time together has come to an end, young Heroes. After each group of you has finished their tasks, come to Renai as well."

And soon, everyone was gathering provisions in order to depart. At the stables, Roran was already saddling up one of the horses for the long ride back to Ester. He was dreading to see what had become of his past home for the wake of darkness left very little alive. He was also unhappy to be separated from Takuya-his close companion he considered more to be a brother.

"I do not have to use my powers to sense your uneasiness," came a soft voice from behind him.

The rebel turned around to see Esper's curious, light gaze. He gave her a small smile. "These are dark circumstances. Who would not be weary?"

She moved gracefully to the horse beside his and began preparing it for travel. "Yes, well, you are not the only one who is against dividing the Heroes, though we all know it is necessary."

Roran gave her a thoughtful, lingering stare. "With whom do you ride?" he asked, not sure why he cared.

Esper met his gaze with a slight blush on her face. Glancing at the ground, she said, "with you." For some reason, she was nervous. The elven maid had not necessarily chosen to ride with the rebels solely because of Roran, but she could not deny that his grey eyes have haunted her dreams. Looking up, Esper found that stare gazing softly upon her now with surprise. His face could look so severe at times, but when Roran did lighten his features, he was no doubt handsome, she thought. No longer able to resist, Esper reached up carefully to brush a strand of sandy hair away from his forehead.

"I-Is it safe?" Roran stammered, glancing away from her, his face flushing, "I mean, for your kind?"

The elf gave him a small smile. "We are a race quite capable of fending for ourselves."

"Er, right," he murmured, shifting uncomfortably, still not meeting her gaze "I have to go find Takuya."

And with that he left the stables, leaving Esper a bit stunned by his abrupt exit. Immediately her cheeks began to burn with humiliation. She had been too forward, touching him like that, the elf scolded herself. She tried to ignore the tightening of her chest. How many times would her heart be wounded before she could fully trust someone with it?

"Are you alright?" came Tomoki's deep, familiar voice from behind her.

Esper composed herself as best she could before turning around to greet him. "Yes, of course," she said rather quickly. Now, Tomoki was beautiful-just about as beautiful as Takuya. Both held such strong features and striking faces. However, Esper could not help but prefer Roran's humble, less attention seeking characteristics now. She had been around beautiful people and things all her life. Her race was known for their fairness.

Tomoki merely nodded. His icy stare filled with concern. "Do let me know if there's anything I can do to help, Esper," he said softly, "we are all going to need each other these next few weeks."

The elven maid met his beautiful gaze. She could not help but be touched by his genuine kindness. "Thank you," Esper responded, struggling to keep her voice from betraying her inner turmoil, "you truly are a good friend."

The ranger stiffened at that last comment, but gave her one of his charming smiles, that looked so oddly similar to Takuya's, before leaving her alone once more.

Meanwhile, Kouichi had been distressed all day. He did not like the idea of being separated from his brother, his friend, and especially Izumi. He had pleaded with Thalin to let him accompany the group to Bethel, but the scholar was stern. It was too dangerous for someone who was not a Hero. Not for the first time Kouichi found himself jealous and angry that he did not possess any gifts. Of course his brother would be a Hero. Kouji was everything he was not.

"You too have a purpose in life, Kouichi," Thalin had said to him once, "everyone does, really. The hard part is trying to figure out why you were placed on this planet. Fate calls upon every soul at one point or another. But it is up to that person, whether or not they decide to even listen. Keep listening, young knight."

Well he be damned if his calling was to be the very shadow of his brother, Kouichi scowled to himself.

The dark-haired knight travelled over to the edge of the bandit camp where Junpei and Kouji were already prepared to ride out. His friend eagerly went up to wrap Kouichi in a tight embrace.

"Take care now, you hear?" he was saying with a reassuring grin, "try not to push any rebel buttons."

Even Kouji's lip quirked up at that. "He'll be just fine," he said, standing tall with his arms folded casually across his chest while giving his younger brother a confident gaze, "he is a talented warrior and the best knight I know."

Kouichi could not help but gleam with pride at the compliment. His brother never said such things lightly. "I will honor our kingdom and our father," the knight responded formally.

A dark emotion flashed through Kouji's eyes for a brief moment, but he quickly reclaimed his normal indifferent expression. "Yes, well. Now if our other companions would hurry, we should be leaving soon."

"Tomoki's on his way," Junpei informed, "but I haven't seen Takuya or Izumi within the last hour."

"Typical," Kouji sneered, and Kouichi could not help but feel an all too familiar sinking sensation within his stomach.

He had kept trying to deny it, but it had become clear to the knight that Izumi was in love with that volatile rebel. Last night, he had seen the golden beauty come in to their tent. For a brief moment he had allowed himself to hope; to hope it was him she had come to find. However, a part of him was not surprise when she ambled straight to Takuya's cot and stirred him awake. Kouichi saw the two leave the tent together, and the rest of the night he lay tossing and turning. Trying to ignore the fact that his heart had been ripped in to pieces. Trying to swallow away the tightness of his throat. Trying to accept the fact that he had not been the one.

Kouichi would have to accept it now, as would his brother. There was no other way to deal with this heartbreak. As much as he wanted to run his blade right through Takuya's heart, he would never dare touch him. Because Izumi loved him. Because if he harmed that rebel, Kouichi would ultimately be harming Izumi. And he would never heart her, not in a million years.

* * *

Izumi had just finished the final stages of her healing process with Carmen when she found Takuya in his tent, tying his belt around his waist. Seeing that no one else was around, she ran up to him, wrapping the rebel up in a delicious, warm embrace that was met with a kiss. She could feel his lips smiling underneath hers and one of his hands tangling itself within her hair.

"How's your shoulder?" he asked in between kisses as his mouth began to shower her face and neck.

"Much better," she replied, trying to suppress a moan as he tenderly began to suck the skin at corner of her jaw. "When are we supposed to depart?"

Takuya pulled away with a crooked grin on his face. "Probably now. But I don't think I'll be able to stop kissing you."

Izumi giggled when he tried to press his lips against hers again. She managed to stop him by cupping the sides of his face. "We have to go," she said, half-heatedly, wishing they had more time. Wishing they didn't have to hide. Wishing that this was right. She wished for a lot of things…

Takuya's dark eyes softened. "You're right," he nodded stiffly, his hands dropping back down to her waist.

They stayed a moment longer in silence, merely resting their foreheads against each other. Izumi closed her eyes, just happy to be breathing Takuya in. In her heart, she knew it would be uncertain whether or not they would be in such a state of peace together again. It would only get harder. The world would only grow colder. She silently prayed that at the end of it all, Takuya would still be the one to keep her warm at night. That he would still be the one to keep the darkness away with the heat of his fire, that burned through her soul, consuming all reason or reality.

* * *

_Reference:_

The four **major **kingdoms and their kings (now you've met all the kings!):

-Kingdom of Kalin (North) (pronounced: Kay-lin)  
-King Jiro (jeer-o)

-Kingdom of Renai (South) (pronounced: Ren-eye)  
- King Sabaru (sah-bar-oo)

-Kingdom of Awai (West) (pronounced: Ah-way)  
- King Silos (sigh-loh-ss)

-Kingdom of Aernal (East) (pronounced: Air-nahl)  
- King Zane (Zay-n)

_Cities_:

-Ester (pronounced: Eh-stir)  
This city, as explained in text, is basically neutral ground. It is a state of land that borders all four kingdoms, so it is considered the city of peace.

-Droff  
town in the Kingdom of Kalin

-Bethel  
capital of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Lightwell  
Home of the forest elves

-Mayfield  
Izumi's hometown

_Characters (you may not know)_:

-Glandur: Leader of the Forest Elves

-Mai: Hero of Earth, but works for Haishin

-Awai, Renai, and Aernal: more of the gods, each symbolizing the different kingdoms.

-Takashi and Kyoya: spies for Akeno

-Thalin: Philosopher/Scholar who had dedicated his life to studying the Heroes.

-Esper: eleven maiden

-Aran: one of the Spiral Bandits.

-Leon: Spiral Bandit leader

-Cora: elven maid, who helps Saki tend to Takuya

-Tyson: General for King Zane of the East

-Makoto Kentaro: General of the Kingdom of Kalin

-Makko and Sakko: Guardians of the Library of Kings

-Kalin: Goddess of peace.

-Saki Orimoto: Izumi's mother

-King Silos: Wisest king in the land; ruler of Awai, the kingdom in the west

-Akeno Orimoto: Izumi's father and General of the Kingdom of Renai.

-Ken: member of Liberation

-Roy: knight of Ester

-Kane Minamoto: Father of Kouji and Kouichi. Also General of the Kingdom of Awai.

-Carmen: leader of the Liberation

-Roran: second in command of Liberation, also good friend of Takuya.

-Davis: another leader and member of Liberation


End file.
